Eye of the Storm
by katnisssullen
Summary: After saving Hyrule from demise, Link believes that he has fallen for the elegant Princess Zelda. All is at peace, but can Link rescue Zelda from her simple life and bring her a life of adventure? And what will others think of a romance between a commoner and a princess? Sometimes, the storm is not quite over.
1. The Coexistence of Wisdom and Courage

A/N: Okay, so… I have always shipped Link and Zelda, ever since I was a child and I didn't even know what shipping was. I really wanted to write this story from the moment I finished playing Twilight Princess. It had such a sad ending, leaving so much to the imagination. Anyway, this story is going to be very fluffy, so… yeah. If that isn't your thing, run for the hills. Enjoy :D

Chapter 1

Link stood in shock long after the Mirror of Twilight had been shattered at Midna's own intentions. The bitter wind blew against the faces of both the brave young hero and the wise princess beside him as they stared at the broken mirror, as if it would magically repair itself and Midna would return and tell the two of them that it was all a trick. But there was no reparation. There was no joking, there was no Midna, and there was no relieved laughing that it was all a prank and that Midna wasn't leaving forever, because she was. Midna was gone and there was nothing.

Zelda sighed at the sight of the mirror and all that its ruins symbolized. She glanced over at the boy in green next to her. He wore the clothes of a hero, but at that moment, he didn't feel heroic in the slightest bit. Link had lost a friend that day, just as he had lost many things in the past few weeks or months. He hadn't even been able to keep track of the time during that period because he had too many things on his mind. It didn't matter at all to him, though. Midna was gone. As much as it pained him to say so, he had grown accustomed to having her at his side on their journeys and he had grown quite fond of her. But alas, there would be no celebration from the youthful, courageous hero on that night.

Zelda put a warm hand on his shoulder, prompting him to turn his head to look at her. He did so with his pained blue eyes, nodding. "Yes, your highness?" he asked politely, turning his body to face her.

"Please," she told him calmly, "call me Zelda."

Link nodded his head once more, curtly. "Yes, Zelda?"

Zelda tried to choose her words carefully, knowing that the adventurer in front of her had a heart full of pain and sorrow. "Link," she started, taking her hand off of his shoulder, "I cannot begin to express my gratitude for all you have done for the humble kingdom of Hyrule. Your chivalry astounds me to the point where I could never possibly thank you enough for what you've done. I express my most sincere condolences at the loss of your friend, Midna. She is a very brave woman with a very kind soul, despite her tough exterior. It's not often that one can find a companion as loyal as she…"

Although Link's soul was heavy with both exhaustion and grief, the smallest of smiles grew on his lips. "Thank you, Zelda…" he responded, lifting his gaze up to hers. He knew that Zelda was genuinely repentant about not stopping Midna before she left. Zelda knew that it was best to let Midna leave to the Twilight Realm for good. The two worlds, as Zelda had said before, coexisted. They were meant to meet each other at one time or another. However, they had met already, and it was time for them to go their separate ways now. Deep down inside of him, Link knew this, too.

"Would you like a ride back to the castle, Zelda?" Link asked, nodding over to Epona.

"That's very kind of you, Link, but I was actually going to go to Kakariko Village. I have to speak with a boy there regarding his store in Castle Town." she informed him, yawning quietly.

"You mean Malo?" the young man asked, perking his head up.

The princess nodded, her eyes tired. "Yes, that's him. You know him?"

"I've known him for as long as he's been alive. We both come from Ordon Village. I could take you to Kakariko to speak with him; that's where I'm headed." Link smiled at her, standing up tall.

Too tired to decline, Zelda grinned at him and yawned once more. "I suppose so," she agreed with the young man. Link took her by the hand and hurriedly ran off to a nearby patch of horse grass. The princess cocked her head, glancing back and forth between Link and the grass. "What do you plan to do with that?"

"Watch," he replied simply, putting the blade of grass between his lips. Link blew into the grass and it created a lovely tune which echoed off the thick walls of the chamber. The music lingered in the cold air for a minute as Zelda waited for something to happen. After a few seconds had passed, Link's horse came galloping gracefully across the plain, neighing at the sight of the boy.

Delighted, Zelda plucked a piece of grass from the patch to examine it. "It's remarkable…" she gazed at the grass, awestruck. "It works wherever you are?"

He nodded, stroking the horse's mane. "Uh-huh. She's a very loyal horse."

"Smart, too," Zelda nodded. "She found her way all the way over here from nothing but the sound of a whistle."

Link chuckled, climbing onto the horse's back and offering Zelda a hand. She accepted and grabbed onto his strong hand. He pulled her up onto the horse behind him. "Hold on," he advised her, grabbing the horse's reins. Finding nothing to hold onto, she put her arms around his waist, gripping onto him as hard as she could.

"I'm sorry about this," she apologized bashfully, her cheeks turning bright red.

He shook his head, laughing as he looked back at her. "Better safe than sorry," he said as he pushed a piece of hair out of his face. With a sharp yell from the hero, the horse took off quick as lightning as the princess held onto the boy for dear life.

When they finally arrived to Kakariko Village, a swarm of villagers eagerly awaited the two adolescents. Link jumped off of Epona onto the rough dirt, dusting himself off before helping Zelda down. He was nearly tackled by all of the village children who were frantically asking questions about Ganondorf and Hyrule Castle. The youngsters finally quieted down when one of the boys, Talo, pointed to Zelda asking, "Who's she?"

One of the girls, Beth, gasped in astonishment and shouted, "That's the princess! Princess Zelda!" Beth jumped up and down in excitement, squealing as she ran over to Zelda. "I can't believe it's you! I've heard so much about you! You're so pretty and your hair is so nice and your dress is amazing and… and… you must be the princess, right?"

Zelda smiled at the little girl. "Yes, that's correct," she answered, nodding.

"Oh my gosh!" Beth squeaked, shaking Zelda's hand. "A princess! A real princess! I never thought I would be able to meet you!"

"That's such a lie," Malo spoke up, rolling his eyes. "You told all of us that you were going to beg Link to take you to meet Zelda."

"Malo!" Beth snapped. "You're ruining everything!"

"You're Malo?" Zelda asked the little boy who couldn't have been more than five years old.

Malo nodded, crossing his arms. "Yes, I am Malo. I'm the owner of the Malo Marts in both Kakariko Village and Castle Town. Are you surprised?"

Zelda nodded slightly, kneeling down to meet his eye level. "I'd heard you were young, but… well, I had figured that you would be around the same age as Link. I didn't realize how young you were…"

Malo brushed his hair out of his face triumphantly. "I'm told that I'm very mature for my age. Now, what is your business here, Princess Zelda?"

"I came to discuss your store in Castle Town, actually. Can we speak in private?" she asked.

Malo nodded, standing up tall. "Right this way," he answered, leading her over to the Kakariko Village Malo Mart.

Once the two of them were gone, Beth crossed her arms, scowling at the ground. "That Malo thinks he's so much better than the rest of us, just because he gets to talk to the princess! Well, it's not true! He grew up in Ordon, just like we did! He's, like… a foot shorter than me! Why does he always get what he wants?" Beth whined, kicking up some dirt off of the ground.

Before Link could say anything, Beth stormed off, mumbling to herself. Link sighed, shaking his head at the girl before turning around to find Colin right behind him.

"Hey, Link!" Colin exclaimed, giving him a big hug. "How was the adventure?"

"Exhausting," Link laughed, plopping down onto the ground to rest for a while. "Where's Ilia and everyone else?"

Colin shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think they went to pack up all of our stuff for the trip back to Ordon Village. I think we're all leaving tomorrow night," Colin explained to Link.

"Why not tonight?" Link asked, sitting up straight.

Colin smiled sheepishly. "We were planning on celebrating tonight…" he informed Link, scratching his head. "We wanted to throw you a party."

Link stood up, dusting himself off. "Oh, you don't have to do that, Colin…" Link told him. He wasn't a partying type of person, really, and he didn't find it necessary to have a party in his honor.

"We want to, though, Link!" Colin interrupted. "Everyone in Hyrule is celebrating tonight because of what you did! You're a real hero!" Colin beamed at Link, jumping up and down in excitement. Colin was usually a very bashful, quiet young boy. However, he couldn't contain his inner excitement when he heard about how Link saved Hyrule.

Before Link could object, Zelda and Malo returned from the store. Malo ran off somewhere as Zelda approached Link and Colin. "Is something wrong?"

Colin shook his head, beaming at the princess. "Nope, I was just talking to Link about the party we're having tonight for him. It's gonna be a lot of fun!"

Zelda smiled at Link. "Is that so?" she asked. "I'll be there if it is. It's the least I can do to properly express my gratitude."

Link nodded his head, grinning. "Uh, yeah. It's tonight. At…"

"Dusk," Colin chimed in.

"Dusk," Link agreed, wringing his hands.

The princess nodded. "It's a plan, then," she agreed. "Judging by the sunlight right now, I would conclude that sun fall will be in approximately… two hours. I'll be down at the hotel, if you need me." Zelda walked off as Colin turned to Link.

"She sure is smart…" Colin stated, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Definitely," Link agreed, walking off.

The party later that night was much more than Link had expected. There was laughing, dancing, drinking, and a few of the Gorons from the tribe even came down to visit. He tried his best to stay at Zelda's side, as he was overwhelmed by all of the noise.

"Would you like to dance?" Zelda asked him, stepping aside from the crowd.

Link chuckled nervously, staring at the ground. "I don't dance, much. I don't really know how…"

Zelda's eyes lit up as she put a hand on his shoulder. "That's not a problem. Dancing is simple. I can teach you how."

Link bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. "I don't really… I don't…"

"Oh, come on," Zelda giggled at his hesitation, "you can fight Ganondorf in four different phases and travel across the kingdom defeating Lizalfos and Darknuts, but dancing is where you draw the line?"

He laughed nervously once again, his cheeks burning red. "I guess I could… try it. For you."

The princess beamed at him, taking him by the hand and almost dragged him onto the dance floor. She gently lifted Link's left hand and put it on her back as she grabbed onto his other hand with hers. "The trick," she started, "is to scatter your feet from your partner's. When doing so, it is unlikely for one of the partners to step on the other's feet. You'll step forward first, and I will mirror your movements. Sound easy enough?"

Link nodded briskly, exhaling through his nose. He began to move his feet very carefully, and he stared down at their feet trying his best not to trip. "Any other advice?" he asked, his gaze still set at the ground.

"Yes," Zelda nodded as she let go of his shoulder and lifted his chin up to meet her gaze. "Don't overthink it." She smiled warmly at him as his cheeks burnt red again and she placed her hand on his shoulder once more.

"It's easy for you to say," Link told her, staring into her blue eyes. "You don't have to think hard about anything. You were given the gift of wisdom."

They continued to move their feet as she shook her head slightly. "Yes, but you were gifted with the Triforce of Courage. I would imagine that a young man with that gift wouldn't be so bashful about learning a simple dance," she reminded him, grinning slightly. "And it's not as if you must have the Triforce of Wisdom in order to be considered wise."

"It's also not as if you must have the Triforce of Courage in order to be considered brave," the boy reminded her. "It wasn't wisdom that caused you to step down from your position in order to save your kingdom or selflessly give your power to Midna so that she could survive. If that's not valiant, I don't know what is."

Princess Zelda gazed into the sharp eyes of the gallant young man before her and didn't know what to say to him. She was truly astonished by his humility. Didn't he know what would have happened had he not been there to save the kingdom of Hyrule? Had he no idea what would have become of this land if he had been killed before he had the chance to defeat Ganondorf?

Link slowed down their dancing and gazed at Zelda who was absolutely speechless. "Is something wrong, Zelda?" he asked, worried that he'd said something wrong.

She shook her head, trying to think of a way to express her feelings about the situation. "Link… don't you know? Aren't you aware of the role that you've played in freeing the land of Hyrule from the darkness of Ganondorf? I, just… Link, without you, I'd be dead. We would all be dead. The kingdom would be doomed to suffer from the eternal darkness that Ganondorf has been so perseverant to bestow upon all of us. How can you be so… modest?" Zelda asked, awestruck.

The humble hero shook his head, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. "I couldn't have done any of this without you, Midna, or anyone who helped me throughout my journey. I would have been dead a long time before I ever laid my eyes on Ganondorf. I'm not the sole reason that Hyrule is safe."

Zelda shook her head, sighing. She didn't believe that she would ever be able to express her gratitude to him, not until he could accept that he was responsible for all of this. She slowed down until they both came to a full stop. The princess exhaled through her nose, leaning up against the wall. "Link, I just… I could never thank you enough for what you've done for us all. I just… I wish that you could see that nothing would be the same without you. You've saved Hyrule, Link. You're a true hero."

With that, she leaned forward and pecked Link on the cheek, causing him to blush again. "Th-thank you, Princess," he told her, staring at his feet.

"No, thank you, Link," she sighed, grasping Link's hand unintentionally. Once she realized what she was doing, she let go hastily, averting her gaze from his. "I… apologize. I hadn't intended to-"

"Don't worry about it," he chuckled as her cheeks turned rosy. "It's not a problem."

Zelda kept her focus on the floor as the two of them listened to the lovely music that the strings were playing. Link could have sworn that he'd heard the song before, perhaps in his dreams. The song sounded stormy, as if it were some sort of symbol of impending rain, very bittersweet. He ignored the thought and turned to Zelda. "Can I show you something?" he asked her, trying to speak over the crowd.

She turned to him and nodded, even though she knew most regions of Hyrule like the back of her hand and it was unlikely that she hadn't seen it before. Zelda followed Link out the door of the building. Leaving the party behind, the two of them ventured out into the silent, chilly air.

Once they reached the top of the hill, Link turned Zelda around to face the town. They were on a platform high above Kakariko Village, and they both had a breathtaking view of both the billions of stars in the sky and the town. Zelda gasped at the sight, stepping forward to get a better view. "It's… it's stunning," she stated, her eyes lost in the beauty of the land. Taking another step forward, her heel caught on an indentation in the platform and she tripped. She shrieked loudly, the noise resonating off of tough walls of rock that surrounded the place. Link promptly dashed forward, grabbing Zelda by the waist. The momentum from the near fall caused both of them to lose their balance and go plummeting off of the platform.

Quick as a whip, Link grabbed his clawshot from his pouch and shot a hook back at the platform as he held onto Zelda with one arm. Barely, the end managed to catch onto the platform and they hung suspended in the air, far above the ground. Zelda gripped Link's torso and closed her eyes tight, not daring to look down at the ground far below. Link brought Zelda and himself back up to the platform and climbed up, finally on solid ground. They both flopped to the ground, breathing heavily and trying to stay as far back from the edge as they could.

After a few minutes of silence, they both sat up and looked at each other. Zelda grinned, pulling Link close and embracing him as strongly as she possibly could. "You saved me, Link," she told him breathlessly. "Thank you so much…"

He smiled, resting his chin on her shoulder and holding her close. "It was no problem, really…" he replied modestly.

"Oh, nonsense!" she answered, laughing and letting go of him. "Just admit it; you're a hero."

Link chuckled and pushed a piece of hair out of Zelda's eyes. "I wouldn't go so far as to say that…"

Zelda shook her head, grinning. "Well, you are, Link. The bravest one I've ever had the honor of knowing."

He gazed into Zelda's eyes, illuminated by the moon's glow. They were blue, like his, only darker and a bit softer. They always seemed to have a pensive quality about them, which intrigued Link. At that moment, his focus was on her bright eyes and how captivating they were in the moonlight.

The wise princess put a soft hand on Link's shoulder, staring out into the endless sky. She sighed, beaming at the sky. "I wish I could sit here forever, staring at the stars…" Zelda remarked thoughtfully. "It's not very often that I have the opportunity to sit down and appreciate the beautiful land of Hyrule. Nowadays, I simply don't have the time. But some nights, before I lie down to sleep, I just sit down by my window and gaze down at Hyrule Field and the land beyond. It seems like such a short time that I do so, but I end up allowing hours to pass by as I just sit there and… admire."

Link closed his eyes, lying down on the platform as Zelda leaned back onto her elbows, not taking her eyes off of their main focus. She sighed. "I envy you adventurers sometimes…" she admitted, frowning.

"Why is that?" Link asked opening his eyes slightly.

"You have all of the time in the world to go out and… and experience Hyrule firsthand. You go on expeditions and explore unknown areas and you make something of your life. There's nothing dull about it at all," she sighed.

He closed his eyes, wondering what it must be like for Zelda. Every day she sits around, taking care of business with Hyrule and helping citizens with their problems. She gets to visit different provinces every once in a while, sure. But as she stated, she never truly experiences the land firsthand. While she wants to go out on adventures just as he does himself, she is forced to stay in her castle and handle her duties. She knows that it's for the best that she stays in the castle because she cannot simply delay her responsibilities, yes, but that isn't really what she wants.

After a short moment of silence, Link sighed and sat up straight, staring at Zelda. She looked back at him with sorrowful eyes, just as he had looked at her this morning, full of regret and helplessness. Zelda exhaled through her nose, staring down at her hands.

Link gently placed one of his hands on hers, causing her to look up into his sharp, hopeful eyes. "Maybe one day you could come on an adventure with me," he tried to console her, smiling cheerfully.

She smiled back at him, her eyes lighting up. "It would be wonderful…" she answered, her tone of voice a bit more eager.

They stared at each other fervently, Link's and lingering on Zelda's. Zelda noticed its presence, but she didn't mind it at all. "I don't think I could ever repay you for all that you've done Link…" she admitted, smiling at their hands that were knit together.

"Well, you know, a man can never have enough rupees…" he joked casually, leaning down on his side. Link opened his mouth to speak once more, but was interrupted when Zelda hastily leaned forward, feverishly pressing her lips to his. The young man's eyes went wide with disbelief. He had never before kissed a girl, let alone a gorgeous princess. After a moment of processing, he put his hand on her waist and leaned forward, pushing his warm lips against her cold ones.

After a few seconds of silent kissing, they breathlessly pulled away from each other, wistfully gawking at each other. Link's cheeks were scorching yet again as he bashfully turned his head and chuckled, lying down on the platform. Zelda smiled, lying down and resting her head on his chest with her hand on his. Link grinned tiredly, resting his cheek on her head and holding her hand tightly. They lied there for what seemed like an eternity, silently observing the skies above. They finally fell asleep at one point, still holding each other as they both wished that the moment could last forever.


	2. Reminiscence

A/N: Okay, so, finally finished with this chapter! Thank you for all of the favorites and follows! Any suggestions have been taken into consideration when writing this chapter. This one isn't quite as fluffy as the last, but I can assure you that the next chapter will make up for the lack of fluff. I really hope you enjoy it, and remember to leave me any suggestions for future chapters if you have any. Thanks!

Chapter 2

"Hey!" Link heard a feminine voice yell from down below the wooden platform he had been sleeping on. His eyes opened slowly as he looked to his side and found that Zelda was still asleep. "Hey, Link, are you up there?!"

"Yeah," he replied tiredly, sitting up straight. "I'm awake." He scooted his body towards the edge of the platform and looked down, only to find his childhood friend, Ilia, standing far down below. Link smiled down at her and stretched his arms out, yawning loudly. "How's it going?"

Ilia scowled slightly. "It would be going swell if you would learn to wake up earlier. You're supposed to help us pack today!" Ilia sighed, obviously stressed and ran off hurriedly.

Link sighed, leaning over to Zelda. He almost felt bad, having to wake her up, because she seemed so peaceful and much more tranquil than usual. Still, he couldn't leave her up on the platform by herself. He gently nudged her on the arm, whispering to her quietly, "Zelda, wake up…"

The princess snapped her eyes open, quickly sitting straight up and smashing her forehead into Link's. They both leaned back in pain, groaning and clutching their foreheads. "Ugh!" Zelda moaned, leaning forward and holding her head in pain. "I'm so sorry, Link. I… you startled me!"

"No kidding," Link groaned, closing his eyes.

After a few seconds, the two of them recovered and Link pulled out his clawshot. He aimed carefully at a nearby crevice in the wall that was closer to the ground than the platform. It hooked onto the hole and Link tugged on the chain, not wanting to repeat what had happened the night prior when Zelda slipped and fell. Once he was certain that it was safe, Link and Zelda both stood up. Without warning, Link grabbed Zelda by the waist just as he did before and jumped down, still holding the chain. Zelda shrieked and held onto Link as they plunged down towards the colossal wall of rock. Just as Zelda was closed her eyes and was sure that they would crash into the massive pile of rocks, Link bent his knees at the last second and launched himself off of the wall and the two of them flew back rapidly. The end of the claw shot unhooked from the ledge and they both dropped down into Eldin Spring.

The water was shallow, but the angle of the fall prevented either of the two teenagers from being injured. Link and Zelda both sat up straight, panting. "That… didn't go as I thought it would," Link admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Zelda giggled, shaking her head.

"I assumed just as much," she joked, nudging him on the arm.

The two of them stood up and turned around to face the village, only to find that they were being watched by, essentially, everybody in all of Kakariko Village. Talo stood at the front of the ground, his eyes wide. "Whoa…" he stated, shocked. "That was so awesome!"

Beth ran forward into the water and lent Zelda a hand, pulling her to her feet. "Oh my goodness! Are you okay, princess?" she questioned worriedly, dusting off Zelda's dress. "Oh, dear, your dress is drenched! LINK! You were supposed to get her down safely! That was your one responsibility! And what happened? The princess… is… soaking wet! Come on, Link, show some chivalry!"

Beth continued to lecture the boy on about how much it must have cost to have a tailor make the dress and how it needed to be dried immediately and how ungentlemanly he was being. Finally, Beth stormed off, muttering something about chivalry to herself.

Link rolled his eyes, smiling at Zelda. She returned the grin and knelt down, offering her hand to Link and pulling him to his feet. "It must be flattering to have someone act so protective over you," Link stated, nodding and letting go of the princess's hand.

Zelda sighed, still grinning slightly. "It's much more customary than you may believe," she remarked, shaking her head.

Malo stood next to his elder brother, Talo, and the two of them stared at each other. Talo snickered, "I think Link's got the hots for that girl."

Malo raised an eyebrow at his immature brother, crossing his arms. "Don't be silly, you fool! Even Link must know that he wouldn't stand a chance with Hyrule royalty."

Talo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Way to think positively, Malo," he replied. "He's pretty cool. He'd totally stand a chance!"

The younger brother scoffed at his brother's silly use of slang. "Nothing seems too farfetched for you, does it, brother? You do realize that village boys aren't to be romantically involved with royalty, don't you? Ordon villagers simply do not become infatuated with those of a higher cla-"

Link cleared his throat loudly, scowling at the two brothers. Zelda's cheeks were bright red as she looked the other direction, averting any eye contact. The boys glanced around and realized that everyone was staring directly at them. Link crossed his arms. "Is something wrong, boys?" he asked, his voice full of irritation.

"Sorry…" Talo apologized, kicking up a bit of dust off the ground. He paused for a moment, biting his cheek. "…but Link could totally win Zelda over if he wanted t-"

"TALO!" Link shouted, his face crimson red.

"I know, I know," Talo sighed, crossing his arms.

Zelda pursed her lips, rubbing the back of her neck. She cleared her throat quietly, looking at Link. He glanced back at her, uncrossing his arms. "…What are you all staring for?" he turned to the crowd. Everyone quickly scattered around, acting as if nothing had just happened.

The princess smiled at Link sheepishly, twiddling her thumbs. "I can't entirely disagree with Talo, really…" she admitted quietly, biting her cheek.

Link laughed nervously, staring at the ground. He'd never imagined that a princess would take a liking to a boy like him. After all, fighting monsters and swimming in mud isn't exactly the business of royalty. But Zelda was different. If it weren't for Zelda, Link may never have defeated Ganondorf in the first place. Without her magic, she could not have called upon the goddesses to aid them in their battle against Ganondorf.

Zelda was anything but a common princess. She was wise far beyond her years, perhaps wiser than the rest of the citizens of Hyrule. Without Zelda, surely Link would have been killed long before he had the chance to defeat Ganondorf. Without Zelda, Midna would have died at the hands of Zant and she never would have been able to return home to the Twilight Realm. Although it was likely that she didn't believe it, Zelda was much more of a heroine than she was accredited for.

Link simply laughed her comment off, his throat as dry as sand. "He's a smart kid," Link grinned cheekily, nodding over to the young boy. It made him nervous, really, as he wondered why Zelda had acted so kindly to him. Perhaps she saw something in him that he could never see in himself.

The princess saw Link's lighthearted smile and she thought back to the morning before. The boy seemed so hopeless, so distraught over the loss of his dear friend that it seemed as if he wasn't ever going to heal from it. Yet, here he was today, joking and laughing just as he had done before everything happened, before Link was ever dragged into fulfilling his destiny as a hero. Though she should have expected it, it still managed to shock Zelda that Link was recovering so quickly. Link was a lighthearted person, something that Zelda certainly hadn't expected when she'd heard of the boy that was destined to rescue Hyrule. Still… what was it that had made him recover so quickly?

"Link… how have you been faring, lately?" Zelda asked slowly.

He chuckled, rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. "I'm all right," he assured her, resting one hand on his hip.

She noticed a tear through the cloth of one of Link's gloves. She stepped forward and gently lifted his hand upwards so that she could examine it. Zelda noticed that there was blood soaking through the glove. "What happened?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"It's okay," Link assured her, pulling his hand away. "I'm all right."

Zelda ignored him and held his hand up again, carefully pulling off his glove. The palm of his hand had an ugly-looking cut along the middle. It didn't seem to be very deep, but she frowned when she saw it. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know. I guess it's from the clawshot…" he answered.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Zelda asked, glancing up at him and back down to his hand. He shook his head, frowning.

"Really, Zelda, I'm used to it," he protested. Before he could stop her, she bent down and dunked his hand in the water.

Link gritted his teeth from the searing pain as the water began to heal the wound on his hand. He'd forgotten about the healing capabilities of the water in the spring. The magic from any of the four Spirit Springs has the ability to heal whoever may swim in the water. They both watched his hand intently as the water began to wash away the blood from Link's hand, sealing the wound.

"There," Zelda nodded, rubbing the boy's hand gently and glancing up into his sharp eyes.

He shrugged, pulling his glove back onto his hand. "You shouldn't worry about me so much, really," he told her.

The Princess of Hyrule grinned slightly. "Is that so? I'd thought that I was allowed to worry about the man who saved my kingdom."

"Sure," Link told her, scratching his head, "but I'm capable of defeating the Gerudo King of Evil, so I'll probably survive if I get scratched on the hand."

"At least I remembered that the Spirit Springs can heal those who swim in them," Zelda pointed out, waving her hand nonchalantly.

"True…" he answered, putting his hands behind his back. "But at least I can jump off of a ledge without having a panic attack!" Link teased, grinning cheekily at Zelda. He splashed her with water, laughing.

Zelda gasped at the cold water, taking a step back and tripping backwards onto her behind. Link was quiet for a minute, but once he realized that she was all right, he began to laugh louder than before. She shook her head as Link grabbed her hand and helped her to her feet.

"Beth might die of fright if she finds out what you just did," she remarked, suppressing a smile.

"I'm sure that Talo would die of laughter if _he_ found out what I just did," Link told her matter-of-factly, brushing her hair out of her face. Zelda stared into her hero's eyes, entranced by how strong they seemed. From Zelda's perspective, she saw little worry in Link's life. She wondered how he could stay so serene, after everything they'd been through up to that point. Surely he hadn't simply brushed everything off…

She blinked once, frowning. "Are you positive that you've been doing all right?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course," he nodded once more, smiling at her. "Why do you ask?"

The girl was conflicted. She feared that any mention of Midna in their conversation might bring back bad memories to Link, and she couldn't bear to see him so distraught any more. Zelda blinked. "I thought you might still be tired from all of the adventuring that you've been doing," she told him, clearing her throat.

Link shook his head. "I'm okay now," he assured her. "I slept like a baby last night."

Zelda smiled at his response, glad that he felt better than he did before. She paused in thought of the past night's events. "Link, about last night…" she started.

A bead of sweat formed on Link's forehead, and he felt as if he'd been punched in the stomach. His face turned pale. "W-what about last night?" Link stuttered, his tone sounding fairly nervous. "Did you not… did I do something wrong?"

She shook her head frantically, fearing that she had hurt Link's feelings. "No, of course you didn't, Link," she assured him, reaching for his hand. She stared into his eyes, trying to calm him down. "Nothing is wrong. I simply… I wanted to tell you that… that I truly did enjoy last night."

"Oh," Link sighed, and his face flushed with relief. He smiled, holding onto her hand. "Uh… good! That's great! I had fun, too!"

The princess smiled at his eager tone, letting go of his hand. "Perhaps we could… maybe… try it again another time?"

"It's a date," he told her, smiling cheekily. After a moment, his eyes went wide. "I mean, uh… it's a- um…"

She smiled slightly. "It's a date," she confirmed.

Link nodded. "Great…" he told her. He frowned slightly and paused for a moment. "I'm sorry for making you fall into the water, Zelda. I didn't mean to…"

Zelda shook her head. "It wasn't your fault," she reassured him, dusting herself off.

He frowned still, sighing. "I shouldn't have done that. It was… rude of me."

She gently placed her arms on his shoulders, pulling him close. "It's okay."

Link smiled and wrapped his arms around Zelda's waist, resting his head on her shoulder. For a moment, he thought back to the night before and smiled warmly, closing his eyes. He felt so comfortable with Zelda. It was as if he had known her for an eternity, as if they'd been friends for a long time. It wasn't possible, of course, because he had just met her, but it was as if he'd known her all along.

His fingertips lingered on her soft hair as he opened his eyes and let go of her. It truly was a strange feeling, speaking so casually with someone, let alone a princess. Link hadn't been able to relax the way he and Zelda did the night before for what seemed like the longest time, and it seemed like a luxury to do so for once. He wondered if Zelda felt the same way.

Zelda stared down at the crystal clear water that the two were standing in, silently admiring the humble village of Kakariko. It seemed that, as the years went by, their population was steadily depleting. The princess had been told stories of days when Kakariko was a robust, booming place to live. However, that was many years ago when another hero, the Hero of Time, saved the land of Hyrule from the evil that threatened to invade it. It was almost incomprehensible, the thought that such a thriving town could so easily wither until it was nothing more than a poor little place with few citizens.

"It's a beautiful village," she told Link softly, and her words were genuine. Although the town didn't seem like much, Zelda smiled at the thought of a time when it thrived, when it was alive.

He nodded, smiling softly. "It reminds me of home," Link told her. He paused to think for a moment, biting his cheek. "Have you ever been to Ordon Village?"

She shook her head pensively. "I've never had the chance to," she admitted, putting a hand on her opposite shoulder. "I don't venture to the far south of Hyrule very often. Is that where you're from?"

The courageous boy nodded, looking over at the joyous children that he had known for as long as he could remember. "We all did. Me, Ilia, Talo, Malo, Beth, Colin… I don't know what I would do without them. They're like family to me."

Although she knew that it was inappropriate to ask, Zelda wondered if Link had any family. He never mentioned any relatives of his, only his friends from back home. As much as the thought pained her, she had a feeling that the boy had, indeed, grown up without a family.

She tried to break free from her thoughts. "Ilia… she's the eldest one, correct? The mayor's daughter?"

He nodded. "She's a bit younger than me. I've known her for as long as I can remember. We've been friends for a long, long time," he remarked, nodding over to Ilia.

Zelda looked over to Ilia, who was speaking with her father who had just arrived by carriage. "I've heard her name before once, when the mayor traveled to Hyrule Castle," Zelda remembered. "Yes… he mentioned her in a conversation we had. He seems to be quite loving towards his daughter."

Mayor Bo turned his head to find the two youngsters staring at him and Ilia. A wide grin spread across his face as he grabbed Ilia by the arm and bolted towards the boy and the princess. Failing to slow down in time, the mayor quickly shouted for the two of them to watch out. Link and Zelda looked at each other and rapidly ran in opposite directions, just as the large man came hurdling towards them. Almost immediately after they moved out of the way, Mayor Bo speeded past them, slipping backwards into the water. He and Ilia sat down for a moment, Ilia scowling slightly.

"Mayor Bo, are you okay?" Zelda asked worriedly, offering him a hand.

He accepted her offer and she helped him to his feet. "Of course I am, your highness!" he chuckled, his cheeks glowing pink. "I'm more limber than you may believe, dear princess!" The man turned to Link, giving him a toothy smile and extending his arms. "My boy!" he shouted, stepping forward and grabbing Link, nearly squeezing the air out of him as he patted his back. "Well done! You've made the town of Ordon quite proud! To think, I've been in the presence of a true hero for seventeen years! It's absolutely-"

"Sir…" Link barely managed to cough as he tried desperately to escape the arms of the mayor.

He let go, though he was barely listening to the young man. "I see you've met Princess Zelda! A lovely young lady, isn't she? Ah, not that you would have any problem finding the girl of your dreams-"

Ilia cleared her throat. "Father!" she shouted, narrowing her eyes at him and standing up. "Aren't you supposed to be helping the others pack the luggage?"

"Why, yes!" he responded, oblivious to Ilia's intentions. "You're quite right, my dear! I'll be seeing you later, my boy!"

The mayor pranced off and his daughter followed behind him slowly. She turned to Zelda, waving. "It was nice meeting you…" Ilia followed her father, leaving Zelda and Link alone once again.

Link cleared his throat, his cheeks flushed. "Mayor Bo and I are… really close, as you can see," he informed the princess, rubbing the back of his neck.

She nodded in agreement. "He certainly seems open to all types of conversation, despite whether or not it's appropriate…"

He grinned at her. "He's far wiser than he seems, you know. He may be right when he says some of the things he says…"

She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you implying that he's correct in saying that you could easily make any girl fall for you?"

Link simply shrugged, picking at his fingernails. "Well, I mean, there aren't as many heroes nowadays as there may have been long ago. Chances are that there are a few girls out there that want a brave young man such as I…"

They were both silent for a moment until the boy smiled cheekily, looking back up at the princess. "I'm just kidding, you know," he told her. "It's a joke."

Zelda smiled slightly, laughing nervously. "Oh… I see…"

He raised his eyebrows at her, trying to read her expression. "Are you… jealous?"

The princess scoffed slightly, blushing. She turned her head away, averting Link's gaze. "Why in the world would I be jealous? I mean- what would I be envious of?"

Link took a step forward, trying to look at Zelda's face. She turned away again, trying her best not to show herself. "You're jealous of the possibility that other girls have their eyes on me, too." Link put a hand on her shoulder, just as she often did to him. She turned her head to him, looking him in the eyes. "You're interested in me, aren't you?"

She stared down at the spring that they were still standing in once more, still blushing. "Well… why wouldn't I be?" she asked, lowering the volume of her voice slightly. "You're my hero, Link."

He beamed at her, though she still wasn't looking at him. He hadn't thought of it up until that point, but Link could not deny the pure beauty of the Princess of Hyrule before him. She was elegant, sophisticated, wise… everything that Link had never considered himself to be. Even though he and Zelda had few things in common, that didn't stop him from smiling at the very sight of her. She was lovely, and he knew it.

After a long moment of silence, Zelda finally tilted her head up to look at Link. Before she could say anything, he lightly grabbed her chin, pulling her towards him and pressing his lips to hers. She placed her hands on his broad shoulders, pulling him even closer.

For a moment, all was at peace, just as it was the night before. For a moment, the valiant young hero and his wise princess felt as if they were the only two people in the entire kingdom of Hyrule. For a moment, the two adolescents had no worries as they did just a few days before. Everything was perfect.

Though only a few seconds had passed, they were both sure that it had been hours since they began. They finally pulled away from each other, breathless but still content. They admired each other's eyes silently, not wanting to ruin the moment with words. Link slowly reached for Zelda's hand, holding onto it gently. Even though they could sense that everybody was watching and that Talo was bragging to Malo about being right, they didn't care at all.

Link and Zelda sat down in the water, leaning up against the wall to sit in the shade. The princess leaned her head onto his shoulder as they held hands, closing their eyes and wishing that things could always be this way.


	3. A Princess's Lullaby

A/N: Another chapter finished! A note on this chapter and the last one: I apologize if my grammar is sloppy when Talo is speaking, he's just not a master of the English language :P Any way, thank you all SO MUCH for reviewing and following this story; I've been working really hard on it, and I really appreciate the feedback! If you have any suggestions, please tell me by reviewing so that I can improve the story! Without further ado, here is chapter 3 of the story, and I hope you enjoy :D

Chapter 3

The large group of villagers had just arrived in Ordon Village by the time that the sun had almost set. Princess Zelda and her brave hero rode on Epona while the others took the cart with all of their supplies. Zelda's eyes lit up at the sight of the small, charming town. There wasn't much to Ordon Village, but the grass was green, the water was clear, and the place felt like a home. Link nearly jumped off of his horse, overjoyed at the opportunity to show Zelda the place he called home.

Link grabbed the princess by the hands and carefully helped her off of the horse. He led her back to where they had just come from, over to what appeared to be a tree house. A grin grew on his face as he ran up and grabbed onto the ladder, swiftly pulling himself up and climbing to the top. He turned around once he reached the top. "Up here," he told Zelda, waving for her to follow him. She quickly climbed up, grabbing onto his hand once she had reached the top.

They both giddily ran inside. It was a simple house with a small amount of furniture, but there was something in the air about it that made it feel comforting. Link sat down on his sofa, smiling warmly and patting the seat next to him to offer the princess a seat. She smiled politely and accepted his offer, sitting down next to him.

"Make yourself at home," he told her, grinning.

"It's lovely," she remarked, admiring the small house.

Link chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, it's no Hyrule Castle, that's for sure…" he stated, shaking his head.

Zelda looked into his eyes, smiling. "Of course not, no. It's even better. It's so… comfortable. I mean it."

He nodded slightly, looking down at his hand, only to realize that his fingers were unintentionally intertwined with hers. He looked back into her eyes, hoping that she wouldn't notice so that he wouldn't have to stop. "I haven't been here in a while," he remarked, looking around the room. "I've missed being at home."

She frowned, knowing that she was the reason why Link was forced to leave his home. Of course, if he hadn't been the hero and saved his homeland, who's to say that he would have had a home to come back to?

Zelda sighed, resting her head on Link's shoulder and closing her eyes. "I'm truly sorry for all that has happened, Link," she apologized, opening her eyes to stare straight ahead at the wall.

He paused for a moment, cocking his head. "What are you sorry about?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"I… I should have stopped Midna while I had the opportunity," she sighed, sitting up straight and finally admitting the guilt that had been gnawing at her for the past couple of days.

"Oh…" he frowned, his face deflating slightly. Link sighed, bending his torso forward and staring at his feet. "It's not your fault, Zelda. Midna had to leave; you and I both know that…"

"But she destroyed the mirror," Zelda stated, shaking her head. "With the Mirror of Twilight broken, there's no way to ever see her again. She didn't have to leave forever, Link. Midna was your friend. I should have stopped her…"

He exhaled through his nose and shook his head, sitting up straight. "Maybe it's meant to be," Link tried to reassure her. "You said so yourself: Twilight and Light are two sides of the same coin. We were meant to cross paths eventually."

She nodded, trying to reassure herself. "You're right. Midna was much cleverer than for which she gave herself credit. Surely she must have had a motivation for… doing what she did."

Link smiled, knowing that Zelda was cheered up. "Exactly," he agreed, rubbing her hand. The princess looked back at him, smiling slightly. He laughed nervously, his cheeks turning red. He let go of her hand, but she grabbed his hand once more, smiling. His cheeks remained flushed as he smiled and stared at the ground. After a moment, he stood up, letting go of her hand. "I want to show you something," he told her eagerly, nodding over to the door. Princess Zelda stood up as Link dashed out of the door. She quickly followed after him, smiling to herself.

After a bit of running, Link finally led Zelda to where he had wanted to take her. It was Faron Spring, the charming spring in the South Faron Woods. The view was stunning, and the place was noiseless with the exception of the wildlife and wind.

"Ilia would wash Epona here whenever she could," Link reminisced, looking around at the scenery. "She would use the spring water to heal Epona whenever the horse was worn-out…"

"The view is breathtaking," Zelda remarked, admiring the greenery that surrounded the spring.

Link nodded, examining a thick leaf on a nearby branch. "It's one of my favorite places to go," he told her, smiling. "I used to come here after long days of herding the animals up at the farm and relax. It's nice to have somewhere to unwind every once in a while."

They smiled at each other and Link knelt down, plucking a white flower from the ground. He handed it to her, grinning. "Here," he told her.

Zelda smiled graciously, holding the delicate flower in her hands. "Thank you," she said, bowing slightly.

He smiled, sitting down on the ground by the water. Zelda sat beside him, staring at the water. They were quiet for a few minutes as they both silently admired the spring. The princess began to hum quietly to herself as she examined the small flower that Link had given her.

"What's that?" Link asked, turning his head to her. She paused abruptly, biting her cheek. "What song is that?"

She was silent for a moment, pursing her lips in thought. The song she was humming was a song passed down throughout the many generations of the Royal Family of Hyrule. It wasn't supposed to be taught to anyone outside of the family. "Oh," she coughed nervously, biting her cheek. "It's… a lullaby, from my family. It's been passed down for several generations, beginning around the Era of the Hero of Time… but you can't tell anyone; it must remain a secret to everybody."

Link smiled, using his finger to cross his heart. "Of course not," he promised, shaking his head. "Your secret's safe with me."

They both nodded and turned back to face the water. The boy sighed contently, leaning back onto his forearms. Zelda bit her cheek anxiously, smiling at her hero. He smiled and closed his eyes, relaxing himself. The girl quickly leaned forward, putting a warm hand on the boy's cheek and locking her lips to his. He jolted, startled by her sudden advance, but quickly relaxed when he realized what was happening. He smiled into the kiss, cradling her face in his rough hands and leaning forward to kiss her back.

The princess was thrown off balance and fell onto her back. She giggled slightly to let Link know that she was okay, and he leaned over her, craning his neck and pressing his lips against hers. She parted her lips slightly, nibbling on Link's bottom lip. He hummed slightly, not used to the strange sensation, but he didn't mind it at all. The young man feverishly locked his lips on hers, pushing her hair out of her face.

They both felt a strange feeling that neither of them had felt before. It was as if the two of them were on fire, but they weren't, of course. Link had been on fire before, and it was extremely unpleasant. This fire was a good kind. It was as if they had created electricity simply from kissing, but the kiss wasn't innocent as it had been before. There was urgency, a spark, a fire, something that gave them a chilling feeling in their guts that they had never felt before. They wanted more.

Zelda ran her fingers through Link's blonde hair as he held onto her waist. As Link's kissed Zelda's neck, she had a strange feeling, a feeling as if they were being watched by someone…

She quickly sat up when she heard some rustling in the bushes nearby. Link must have heard it, too, because he grabbed his sword as quick as lightning. He pointed the point of the blade at the shrubbery, scowling. "Who's there?" he shouted, staring down the bush.

A small figure poked his head out from the bush. It was Talo. "Jeez," Talo said, exiting the shrub with his hands in the air, "I'll have to remember not to sneak up on a swordsman…"

"W-what are you doing here?" Link exclaimed, panicking. "You're supposed to be helping your mom unpack your luggage!"

"Oh, relax," he scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "What they don't know won't kill them."

"But they might kill you," a high-pitched voice remarked from behind a large rock adjacent to the bush.

Link narrowed his eyes, stabbing the Master Sword directly into the ground. Zelda stood up quickly, running over to the sword and trying to pull it out of the ground. "Be careful!" she barked, tugging on the sword.

"What are you two doing here? What did you see?" Link questioned, paying no attention to Zelda.

"The better question here, Link, is: What are you doing to the princess?" Malo crossed his arms and walked out from behind the rock.

With one swift tug, Link pulled the sword out of the ground and pointed the blade at the two boys. "It's none of your business, what was going on here!"

"They were totally making out!" Talo laughed, applauding. "I TOLD you, Malo! You said, 'Oh no, Link is FAR too plain to charm a princess!' And you were WRONG! I KNEW Link was cool!"

Zelda's cheeks flushed as she turned away from the three boys, shaking her head.

"Don't be silly, Brother," Malo scoffed, turning his head. "It was pure luck. Perhaps Zelda isn't as sophisticated as we'd previously thought. Perhaps she's just like all of the other commoner girls. Perhaps she's just a whor-"

"That's quite enough from you two!" Link interrupted the younger brother, furious. "Both of you get out of here right now! And don't speak a single word of this to anyone, do you understand?"

Malo rolled eyes, grabbing his brother by the arm and pulling him away towards the village.

Zelda frowned, crossing her arms and staring at the ground. "Oh, dear…" she said to herself. "What if they tell someone what happened?"

Link chuckled. "Relax," he assured her, smiling. "As long as I have my sword, they aren't going to say a word of it to anyone."

She bit her cheek, rubbing her neck, just as he often did. "Link… they don't seem to be phased in the least bit by you threateningly waving a sword in their faces…"

He laughed, outing the sword back in its sheath. "That's all right; I still have my shield. And if all else fails, I'll just have to use the slingshot…"

Zelda shook her head, stifling a grin. "They're just children having fun; it's nothing to worry about."

Link raised an eyebrow, twirling a piece of Zelda's hair around his finger. "And I suppose that if Ganondorf had been a child, he wouldn't have been a threat, either?"

"But Ganondorf wasn't a child. He was a nine-foot-tall Gerudo/king/thief," Zelda pointed out matter-of-factly.

"But what if he were a child? He would still have the Triforce of Power, mind you…" Link informed Zelda nonchalantly.

She smiled at him, and opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted when Link picked her up in his arms. Zelda laughed and held onto Link's neck, gazing into his eyes.

He cracked a smile finally and craned his neck forward, pecking the princess on the lips. Zelda smiled warmly at him for a moment, before her eyes suddenly went wide. "Link, watch out!" she shouted, causing Link to jump and drop Zelda. He turned around to find a Green Bokoblin right at his heels, wielding a sword and shield. It lifted its large blade high into the air, aiming directly at the princess. The boy quickly pulled Zelda out of the way, just before the heavy sword came crashing down right at her feet.

He pulled out his sword and shield as the monster struggled to free its blade from the tough ground. Link ran up to the Bokoblin and kicked the shield from its grasp while it was distracted. The creature growled, narrowing its eyes at the boy. It freed its sword from the ground and slashed at the young man. Link jumped backwards, successfully dodging the blow. The hero tripped backwards, almost falling over but managing to stay on his feet. Seeing an opportunity to strike, the Bokoblin hacked his sword at Link once again. The sharp edge cut through the chest of Link's tunic, slicing his skin. He doubled over in pain, clenching his fists.

Link grit his teeth, reaching for his sword. Before he could get a grip on the handle, the Bokoblin mindlessly stepped on Link's hand, causing the boy to shout in pain. The beast raised his sword to strike Link, but before he could even try, he was suddenly pelted with multiple large rocks. He turned around, confused, and found that he was surrounded by a large group of the village children. The Bokoblin growled, running towards the group. Before he could do any harm to them, he let suddenly let out a piercing scream. He turned around to find Princess Zelda aiming at him with her bow. He looked down at himself, only to find that he had been struck in the shoulder with an arrow. The monster charged at the princess, only to be suddenly struck in the back. Link stared at the creature as it fell down, letting out another growl before crumpling on the ground. He pulled his sword out of the creature weakly, falling down to the ground.

Zelda gasped and kneeled down next to Link. She examined his chest carefully, assessing the damage. He had been cut deeply from the Bokoblin's sword. The wound wasn't extremely deep, but it was bleeding badly and required immediate attention. She carefully dragged Link over to the spring. She cupped some of the water in her hands and splashed it onto Link's chest, onto the wound. She waited for a moment for something to happen, but nothing did. The cut was too severe. The children gathered around Zelda and Link, frowning worriedly.

"Go back to the village!" Zelda demanded, holding onto Link's hand. "G-go get help!"

They quickly ran off towards the village as Zelda stayed there with Link. She gripped his hand tightly, staring into his eyes.

"I'll… be okay, Zelda," he assured her weakly, closing his eyes. "I've been on fire before. I'm… not going to be mortally wounded from a scratch…"

"It's not a scratch, Link. It's bad. You need help!" Zelda panicked, her eyes tearing up.

Link chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm okay, really… you don't… need to worry…"

She held onto Link's hand, closing her eyes. She waited for a few moments before she heard the children returning. Zelda turned her head to see a few of the other villagers gather around, their expressions full of worry. A man with ashy blonde hair and light blue eyes stepped forward alongside Ilia and Colin. He stepped forward, kneeling down to Link.

Zelda wracked her brain as she desperately tried to think of how to treat a wound as serious as Link's. She quickly grabbed the end of her dress in both hands, forcefully ripping off a large shred, causing Beth to shriek loudly. Zelda soaked the cloth in the spring water, keeping a close eye on Link as she did.

"Is there anything we can do?" the man asked in a gruff, nervous voice.

"Get his shirt off," Zelda nearly commanded the stranger.

Link's cheeks flushed as his shirt was pulled off by the man named Rusl, Colin and Ilia. The princess wringed out the cloth, leaning over Link and carefully setting the cloth over the gash. He gritted his teeth as she applied pressure to the cloth, furrowing her brow.

Beth stepped forward, frowning. "You know magic, don't you?" she asked with her hands on her hips. "You can heal him, right?"

Zelda exhaled through her nose. She knew magic, yes, but she had never attempted a healing spell; she never had any use for it. However, she had been taught one long ago that may have been useful.

The young princess closed her eyes, moving the cloth out of the way and placing one hand on the injured boy's chest. She tried to focus on the task at hand, on what she had to do. If this spell didn't work, the consequences could have been dire. Her hand stiffened on the young man's chest as she desperately tried to focus her power on healing him. It was as if there was a shockwave traveling through her body as she clenched her other hand into a fist, refusing to take her other hand off of Link. She felt her body slowly growing weaker as she exhaled slowly.

Link gasped as he felt the pain from his chest slowly subside. He looked down at where the wound was, only to find that it was slowly fading away from his vision. The blood from the gash seemed to slowly disappear as the wound closed back up. There was a strange tingling sensation, and it was as if the cut were being completely erased. Finally, the wound had completely disappeared and Zelda fell down, panting.

She felt dizzy as she lied down on the grass, closing her eyes. Link quickly sat up and knelt over by her, leaning close to her face. "Zelda," he asked worriedly. "Zelda, are you okay?"

Zelda opened her eyes slowly, nodding. She shook her head slightly, exhaling as the world seemed to spin around her. "I'm just a… bit lightheaded," she replied, rubbing her forehead.

He smiled at her, chuckling as he put the back of his hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. She pushed his hand away, sitting up quickly. "You should be the one lying down," she advised him, shaking her head.

Link smiled, shaking his head. "I'm better now," he assured her, lending her a hand. He helped her up and was immediately surrounded by all of the others.

Rusl rushed up to Link and quickly embraced him, closing his eyes. "I was so worried," Rusl sighed, patting Link on the back and letting go of him.

Ilia ran to Link as quickly as she could, wrapping her arms around his neck and nearly knocking him backwards. "Are you okay, Link?" she asked, frowning at him.

He nodded, smiling. "I'm okay, Ilia. I promise," he assured her, patting her on the shoulder. He looked over to Zelda to make sure she was okay, but she wasn't there. He raised an eyebrow, glancing around him in search of Zelda. Seeing no sign of the princess, he quickly rushed out of the crowd and towards the town. His feet carried him as quickly as he could possibly go as he frantically looked around himself in search of Zelda.

Link arrived back at his house and found Zelda there, sitting down and leaning up against the tree with her eyes closed. "Zelda!" he shouted, causing her to jump. He ran over to her and knelt down to her level. "Is something wrong?"

Zelda shook her head, closing her eyes. "I'm just feeling weary, that's all…" she answered softly, sighing tiredly.

He sat down beside her, holding onto her hand. He smiled, staring at the ground. "Thank you, Zelda. You saved me…"

She smiled slightly, leaning her head onto the boy's shoulder. "You saved me first," she told him quietly, closing her eyes.

His fingers interlocked with hers as she sighed quietly, leaning up against him. Link smiled slightly and stretched his legs outward, gently scooting her head onto his lap.

"I guess I have a talent for getting myself into trouble, huh?" Link remarked lightheartedly, smiling to himself. "I'm sorry for that." He frowned slightly, biting his cheek. "I guess I shouldn't have assumed that there were no monsters in the area…"

The smallest of smiles grew on Zelda's lips as she barely opened her eyes, staring off into the distance. She paused for a minute, pensively. "It is not the ability to know if a situation is potentially dangerous that discerns a man from a hero," she told him. "Instead, it is the question of his willingness to make sacrifices for others when he is faced with that situation that will show his true self."

The boy grinned to himself, staring up into the darkening sky. He sighed, blinking slowly as his eyelids grew heavier. "You're one of a kind," he told Zelda kindly, exhaling through his nose.

"As are you, Link…" she answered, her eyes slowly closing. She yawned quietly, the smallest of smiles on her face. "As are you…"

He gently stroked Zelda's hair as she drifted off to sleep. She seemed so content in her sleep, so calm, so… different from her condition just a few days ago.

Link knew that he cared for Zelda, and he had the feeling that she felt the same way about him. Surely she didn't heal him simply because she'd felt obligated to… no, she must have helped him because she was worried about him, right?

Link's entire body was warmed at the thought that Zelda might actually care for him just as much as he cared for her. He weaved his fingers through her hair gently, drifting off in his own thoughts. He leaned back against the tree, closing his eyes as he continued to brush her hair with his fingers. His eyelids felt heavier and heavier after a while and he decided to let himself fall asleep, still stroking the princess's hair.

Ilia came around the corner, glancing around. She noticed Link and Zelda sleeping peacefully underneath the tall tree. She approached the two of them, kneeling down to their level. She smiled sadly, resting her fingertips on Link's shoulder. Ilia leaned forward, pecking Link on the cheek lightly and letting go of him. "Goodnight, Link…" she told him, though he couldn't hear her. Ilia walked away, frowning slightly and walking back to the village.

Zelda smiled in her sleep as she lied her head down on Link's lap. She held Link's hand, but she still held onto the delicate white flower she had received from the benevolent young man in her opposite hand.


	4. Acceptance

A/N: Sorry I'm posting this a bit later than I usually do, I've just been a bit busy :P I've been writing this story for around a month now, and I want to thank you all SO MUCH for all of your reviews, follows, favorites and whatnot. You guys are so amazing, and I can't thank you enough :D Of course, if you want to leave a review to help me improve my writing, it would be greatly appreciated. Without further ado, here is Chapter 4!

Chapter 4

Link's eyes fluttered open to find the princess's lips pressed up against his, warming his entire body. She pulled away slowly, smiling warmly at the young man. "Good morning," she told him, staring off into his eyes.

"I don't think that anything could possibly make it a bad morning for me after that," Link remarked, sitting up straight. He stared off at the horizon over Ordon Village. The bright, barely risen sun was an eyesore to him, as he had just woken up. He squinted his eyes, shielding them with his sleeve. He turned to Zelda, who was leaning back onto her forearms and enjoying the heat from the radiant sun. "How can you stand the heat?" he asked her, still blocking out the sunlight.

"Just as an adventurer may sometimes stop to rest at home for a short time, I enjoy doing things that I'm not always given the opportunity to do, such as watching the sun rise. It seems like a luxury to do so, lately…" she went on to explain, closing her eyes in thought. "I haven't had the leisure time to relax in the longest time, Link. I'm sure you understand, as that must be exactly what had happened to you. I… cannot begin to express my pure gratitude for all that you've done for me, for all that you've given me…"

Link grinned crookedly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm happy that you're here too, Zelda," he said to her, biting his cheek. It seemed strange to him, how someone who had lived a life of royalty could find luxury in such simple things as watching the sunrise.

Zelda nodded her head slightly, opening her eyes fully. She exhaled slowly, lost in her own thoughts. "I suppose that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence," she remarked as she shook her head. Zelda chuckled sadly. "You must find it preposterous, the thought that a princess would take such interest in such trivial affairs, things of which any average person does on a regular basis. However, I believe that even the simplest things can have a great effect over time."

The boy shook his head, turning his gaze over to the thoughtful princess. "I don't think it's silly at all; you're right," he agreed with her, frowning slightly. "You have to take advantage of the little things, I guess…" Link sighed and closed his eyes, still tired from just waking up. "You never know what they'll mean to you in the future."

Princess Zelda nodded in agreement. She pensively rubbed her forehead, sighing in exasperation as she sat up straight. Link opened his eyes and turned his attention over to her, cocking his head. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up taller and scooting his body closer to her.

Her nostrils flared as she stared at the ground, shaking her head. She opened her mouth, hesitant to speak. "Link…" she started, lifting her chin so that she could look him in the eyes. "Link, I must ask you a favor."

He quickly nodded, smiling at her. "Of course," he replied rapidly, his eyes lighting up. "Anything for you, Zelda."

Zelda cleared her throat, composing herself. "Link, I must soon return to Hyrule Castle in order to fulfill my duties as the matriarch of my kingdom. You see, before Zant invaded Hyrule, I was to attend a ceremony concerning the subsequent ruling of Hyrule, a coronation ceremony. Zant's invasion came just days before the ceremony took place, but now that he and Ganondorf have been defeated, the scheduled ceremony is to commence once more." Zelda held onto Link's hand, frowning slightly.

Link was quiet for a moment as he processed the information, feeling much more awakened than before. He bit his cheek, the smile having faded from his lips. "You're saying that… that you're going to be the new queen of Hyrule?" he asked.

She nodded slowly, closing her eyes. "I am heir to the royal throne," she confirmed, gently stroking his hand with her fingertips, "but that is not what I must tell you. I know that I can trust you, Link. I would put my life in your hands if I had to, but this is not concerning life and death. Link… I need you at the ceremony. An enormous weight is to be thrust upon my shoulders when I am officially given my new title, and I need moral support. You are the only person who can help me in that sense, Link. Although it is not mandatory, of course… I need you to come to the ceremony with me. I cannot do this without you."

He paused, nodding his head slightly. "Of course I will, Zelda…" he promised her, smiling slightly. "It would be my honor."

The princess sighed in relief as she smiled warmly back at the boy, holding onto his hand. She sat up straight, looking into his eyes. "Thank you, Link…" she told him, glancing down at the ground. She was silent for a moment as they both sat there, both of their minds racing. Zelda darted her eyes back up to his urgently. "You can visit me at the castle any time you'd like, Link," she assured him, gripping his hand.

Link smiled widely. "Hm… well, if you _insist…_" he joked nonchalantly, leaning closer to her.

Zelda smiled at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her. He pulled her even closer to him, their lips just inches away from each other. Link grinned slightly as she bit her cheek. "You know, Zelda," he started, his voice barely above a whisper. "I never got to tell you this, but it's been on my mind for a long time now… I never got to tell you how gorgeous you are."

Zelda's cheeks scorched red as she pursed her lips, staring down at her lap. "O-oh…" she stuttered, suppressing a smile. She rubbed the back of her neck, letting go of the boy. "Thank you, Link…"

He laughed, grinning widely at her. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know," he reminded her as he brushed a piece of her hair out of her face. "If anything, you should be proud."

She laughed nervously, gently placing her hand on his arm. "Thank you, Link," she repeated herself, not knowing what more to say. She had been told numerous times by many people that they found her to be particularly lovely, and she appreciated their kindness, but there was something about the words coming out of Link's mouth that was invigorating to her, something that made her feel warm all over.

The young man smiled at her, throwing his arm around her shoulder and pecking her on the cheek. The princess sheepishly lowered her chin, still blushing. After a moment, Zelda leaned her head onto Link's side. The two adolescents both watched as the sun slowly rose over the small village of Ordon, illuminating and heating the both of them.

It seemed like several hours had passed by the time that the sun had finally risen completely, its light shining down on the entire town. Link stood up tiredly, rubbing his eyes. He lent his hand to Zelda and helped her to her feet. She smiled at him, nodding politely. The princess gently placed her arms on his shoulders, closing her eyes as she leaned her head onto his chest. Link smiled as he put his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

"Has your dancing improved at all?" Zelda questioned him as she opened her eyes, looking at him with a small smile.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Dancing isn't really my thing," he informed her sheepishly, staring at the ground.

"Oh, nonsense," she replied to him, lifting her head up but keeping her hands on his broad shoulders. "You were doing excellently."

The young man shook his head. "I'm nothing special. You, on the other hand…" he started, grabbing onto her hands. He lifted one of his arms above her head and pushed in the opposite direction, and she quickly spun around on impulse. He stopped her with his other hand, leaning forward until he was just inches from her face. She smiled at him again, pushing off the ground with her foot to stand upright. Link nodded, gazing into her eyes. "You have a real knack for it."

"Thank you, Link," she started, holding onto his hands lightly, "but you must take some credit for yourself, once in a while. Therefore, I refuse to believe that your dancing is even slightly below average."

"Believe it," he told her, smirking. "I'm not a princess; I wasn't taught how to dance, and I don't plan on dancing regularly anytime soon."

Zelda rolled her eyes slightly, shaking her head. "You aren't required to be a member of the Royal Family of Hyrule if you want to dance," she stated, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Who said I wanted to?" he asked, scoffing playfully.

The princess raised an eyebrow. "Well, you certainly didn't seem unenthusiastic the other night when we were dancing, now, did you?"

Link suppressed a smile, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Well, it's… it's different with you, Zelda," he shook his head, his gaze set on the ground.

She let go of one of his hands, placing a hand on his cheek. "Is that so?" she asked, smiling gently at him. He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck and taking a step backwards.

"You're just… well, I don't want to say no to you, or anything…" he admitted, his cheeks bright red.

The princess put her hand on his chin, leaning close to him. "That's because you're a gentleman, Link," she told him, smiling warmly. She leaned closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know," she teased him with the same words that he had said to her earlier.

The young man laughed nervously, patting her on the back awkwardly as she smiled at him. He was unsure of what exactly to say to her in response, as he had the feeling that he would ruin the moment. Zelda leaned her head against his chest.

"How else would a hero win over a princess?" she asked rhetorically, causing his eyes to go wide.

His breath hitched as Zelda leaned forward, putting her face just an inch from his. Link bit his cheek as he stared into the eyes of the princess. "Rupees?" he asked jokingly, trying to break the tension.

Zelda grinned slightly, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning forward, connecting her lips to his. Link felt the same spark that he did just the night before as his lips touched hers, and the warmth grew in his gut. He put his hands on her lower back as she parted her lips slightly. Zelda moaned quietly as Link pulled her closer, lightly biting her lip. Her hands moved up to his head, and she weaved her fingers through his hair.

Link's mind raced as he continued to passionately kiss the lovely princess in front of his eyes. Just a few months prior, he never dreamt that someday he would even meet the princess, let alone befriend her. The word friend rang in Link's thoughts, but he knew that it wasn't the word that fit the situation. Friends don't do this. No, he and Zelda were… something else. They were more than friends. They were together. They were… well, they were just… something more than friends.

Zelda knew very well that she deeply cared for Link. After all, he was the one who saved her kingdom, and she knew that she owed him more than she could ever repay. But maybe her feelings for him were beyond that. Perhaps she felt the way she did about Link for reasons other than the fact that he had saved her.

"Link…" Zelda barely whispered, her eyes shut. She didn't know what she was going to say to him, but she needed to tell him something.

"Mmhm?" he asked, his lips pressed up against her neck.

Her eyes fluttered open as she held onto him by his shoulder. "Link, I… I wanted to let you know that… that…"

Link's eyes suddenly snapped open and he turned on his heel, causing Zelda to let go of him and almost fall over. She regained her balance and looked over Link's shoulder to find Ilia standing just a few feet away. "Ilia…" Link started, pursing his lips and rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand. "Ilia, what are you doing here?"

"Oh…" Ilia started, biting her lip. "I just… I thought that I'd check up on you and see if you were awake yet." She stood up taller, putting her hands on her hips and clearing her throat. "Colin wanted to invite you over to breakfast at his house."

"Okay," Link nodded slowly as he felt his cheeks burning. He stared at the ground, wondering exactly what Ilia had seen. Ilia had been his friend for as long as he could remember. What would she say if she knew exactly how much he cared for Zelda?

"I'll… meet you there," Ilia nodded curtly as she pivoted on her heel, twiddling her thumbs as she walked back towards the village.

Zelda sighed quietly, frowning as she followed the young man.

Link and Zelda sat next to each other at the table as Colin stood on his tiptoes to pour water into their cups. Ilia and Mayor Bo sat across from them. Ilia ate her food in silence as her father tried to strike up a conversation.

"Have you been feeling better since yesterday, my boy?" he asked thoughtfully, leaning forward. "That was quite the gash you had there, yesterday."

Link nodded his head slightly, clearing his throat. "I feel a lot better, don't worry-" he tried to explain, but was quickly cut off.

"Ah, but Princess Zelda sure has an aptitude for magic, eh?" Mayor Bo remarked cheerfully. "It was as if it was effortless for her!"

"Actually, Zelda nearly fainted after healing Link," Ilia chimed in suddenly, not looking up from her plate.

Zelda was silent for a moment before clearing her throat. "It was the first time I had attempted any type of healing spell…" she informed Ilia matter-of-factly.

Ilia snorted, glaring at her food as she cut it with a fork. "So I guess you don't know what you're doing, then, huh?"

The princess cocked her head, furrowing her brow in confusion. "I had learned the spell long ago, however, I never had the opportunity to put it to use…"

"You sure would be more helpful if you WOULD use it more often," Ilia snapped suddenly, glaring at the princess.

"That's quite enough," Mayor Bo spoke up in his booming voice, sitting up straight. "We should just be grateful that Link is alive and well."

Ilia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Sure, with no help from the pretty princess over here…" she muttered, scoffing.

Link glanced over to his lifelong friend, shocked at how she was acting. Ilia never acted this way to anybody, not once in her life. "Ilia, what are you talking about?" he asked, his voice an octave lower than usual. "Zelda was the one who saved me. I might have been dead if she hadn't healed me."

Ilia narrowed her eyes at the boy, gritting her teeth. She stood up from her seat, leaning forward onto the table. "Oh, so now you're siding with the girl that you JUST met, over the one who's been your friend for your ENTIRE life?"

"Ilia, what are you talking about?" Link asked as he leaned his head onto his hand, flustered.

Her eyes grew dim as her nostrils flared, like a bull that was preparing to charge. "Why, you…" Ilia snarled, leaning forward and swinging at Link. He leaned back and there was a sudden flash of electricity as Zelda extended her arm, pointing it towards the other girl. Ilia yelped suddenly as she was zapped by the lightning, and she quickly sat back down.

"Do not even ATTEMPT to harm Link in any way, Ilia!" Zelda barked, glowering at the girl.

Ilia narrowed her eyes at the princess, shaking her head. She stood up again, turning away from the table and heading for the exit. She opened the door and left, slamming it on her way out.

It was silent for a while as the princess tried to compose herself as both Link and Mayor Bo stared at her. Zelda sat back down once more, sighing as she rested her head in her hands. Finally, the mayor decided to break the silence.

"So Princess… I hear that you and Link are currently in a relationship-" he spoke up, before Zelda stood up suddenly, wiping her mouth with a napkin and marching out of the house.

Link furrowed his brow at the mayor as he sighed, shaking his head. Without saying anything, the young man stood up and ran out of the house after the princess.

The boy chased Zelda as fast as his feet could carry him, until he finally stopped her when she was next to the path to Link's house.

"Zelda," he said, still panting as he put his hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry about Mayor Bo, he doesn't know what he's saying…"

Zelda shook her head quickly, biting her cheek. "I know, Link…" she told him, frowning. She looked up into his eyes, lost in her own thoughts. "That's… not quite it. Just… what are we, Link?"

Although the princess didn't specify, Link knew exactly what she was talking about. He had been thinking about it earlier, and he couldn't come up with an answer. He shrugged his shoulders a bit, moving his hand down her arm. He grabbed her hand lightly, pursing his lips. "I don't know, Zelda…" he admitted, shaking his head. "I don't know, but I like it for what it is."

Princess Zelda smiled, nodding her head as she gazed at her feet. "I do too, Link," she told him as she closed her eyes, pressing her head to his chest. "I really like you."

Link grinned widely at Zelda's words, leaning his head onto hers. "I know…" he remarked jokingly, chuckling to himself quietly. His eyes softened when Zelda smiled up at him, still holding his hand. The very sight of the princess in his arms made Link want to melt right there and hold onto her forever. To Link, it seemed as if a smile from Zelda could make an entire kingdom stop and stare. She was radiant.

The boy was quiet for a minute as he thought to himself. "I promise that I'll come to the coronation ceremony with you, Zelda," he assured her, gazing into her blue eyes. "You don't have anything to worry about."

Zelda smiled to herself, looking at the ground. "I know I don't," she told him, trying to reassure herself. She nodded curtly. "Thank you for everything, Link…"

The kind words rang in Link's ears as he closed his eyes slowly, his entire body filled with warmth. "Thank _you _for everything, Zelda," he replied matter-of-factly, putting a hand on her soft cheek.

She lifted her chin to meet his gaze, lost in his eyes. She leaned towards him, pecking him on the lips. Zelda pulled away after the kiss silently, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Link smiled warmly at her for a minute, before suddenly remembering something. Zelda took her arms off of him as he reached for the pouch on his belt, opening it up and pulling something out. She cocked her head as Link turned to her, opening his hand. He was holding the white flower that he had given to her the night before.

"I picked it up earlier so that it wouldn't get left behind," he informed her, smiling sweetly.

She gingerly took the flower, examining it carefully in the sunlight as she grinned slightly. "You really are a gentleman, aren't you?" she asked rhetorically, glancing at the flower and then up to him.

He scoffed playfully, flicking a piece of hair out of Zelda's face. "Well, that's what Beth wants, right?" he remarked, rolling his eyes.

Zelda smiled down at the flower in her hands pensively. She suddenly remembered what she had tried to tell Link earlier before they were interrupted by Ilia. The young princess took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a minute and then opening them once more. "Link…" she started, collecting her thoughts. "About what I was going to tell you earlier…"

Link stared into her eyes worriedly, anxious about what she was going to say. What if she changed her mind? What if she didn't want to be with him anymore?

Zelda locked onto his eyes, and she felt the same feeling that she had felt before, the spark that consumed her entire body and that clouded her thoughts. Zelda was no fool; she had known exactly what that spark was from the moment that she truly got to know Link, even from the moment that he saved her kingdom. He was her hero, but his heroism was not purely physical. Link had saved Zelda in more ways than one.

"Link, I…" she began to say, her thoughts being overrun by her feelings as they never had been before. She couldn't let herself consider what Link might say or do after she told him, she just had to do it. She took another deep breath as she stared into his nervous blue eyes. Link had always been the brave one, and she knew this, but she had to be courageous. If she didn't tell him, she would never know if he felt the same way. "Link, I… I think that I'm in love with you."

His eyes immediately went wide with realization as his thoughts were blurred, and he tried to stay on his feet. There was no way that she'd just said that; he felt that he must have been dreaming. For those words to be uttered from her mouth… it couldn't have been truly happening. Yet, here they both were, standing in silence, everything as real as could possibly be. Finally, Link was able to accept that he was very much alive and well, and that Zelda loved him.

The silence only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt as if years had gone by when he finally opened his mouth slightly to answer. Instead of speaking, Link grabbed Zelda by the shoulders and pulled her closer to him, startling her as he feverishly pushed his lips to hers.

Although he spoke no words, Zelda knew exactly what he was saying. Her stomach was full of butterflies as she kissed him back with just as much passion, her heart thumping against her chest. She smiled into the kiss as she held onto him tightly. The princess had seen many incredible things throughout her life, but never had she been in such disbelief as she was in at this moment. It didn't take any words to communicate his feelings to Zelda, because she knew what he was trying to say. Still, he pulled away breathlessly so that he could tell her himself.

"Zelda…" he panted, his mind racing as he smiled at her. "I love you, too."


	5. Green with Envy

A/N: Another chapter written! Things are getting serious… Anyway, I was wondering if you guys would mind checking out this arrangement I made of Zelda's Lullaby. You can find it here: /watch?v=4ThtMuaHojQ . You don't have to tell me what you think or rate or anything like that, I just wanted you guys to enjoy the music :D Don't worry, it's short :P As you guys know, I really appreciate any and all reviews/favorites/follows that I get from you all, and it really means a lot to me. Remember to tell me any comments or suggestions you may have for the story by leaving a review ^.^ Without further ado, here is Chapter 5, and I hope you all enjoy :D

Chapter 5

It was as if anything was possible for the two adolescents. They felt elated at the very thought of being in love with each other. They continued to smile at each other a few moments after Link spoke the words that were music to the lovely princess's ears. Time seemed to slow down for the two of them as they stood in silence, not needing any more words.

Finally, Zelda nearly sprung forward, wrapping her arms around him and clinging on, not wanting to let go. She had never felt this way before about anyone, not once in her entire life. In fact, Zelda hadn't even heard the word "love" for as long as she could remember. Even long ago, when she'd heard the word used more frequently, it didn't hold the same meaning as it did at this moment. No, it was a much different kind of love than she would often see between siblings or friends, because Zelda didn't simply love Link; she was _in love _with him.

She leaned her head up against the boy's chest, listening to the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat. As he held her in his arms, she silently thanked the goddesses for allowing his heart to keep beating. The idea of Link meeting an untimely demise before he could save Hyrule and the rest of the land was almost… unimaginable for Zelda. Had Link not come along with Midna when he did, Zant would surely have succeeded in overtaking the kingdom of Hyrule. He wouldn't have had any reason to keep Zelda as his prisoner any longer, and she would have been killed at his hands. Hyrule would have been completely consumed with evil and anarchy, but it wasn't. Link had saved the land, just as the princess knew he would, and she was eternally grateful.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on his heartbeat. Link was so valiant, so selfless… why must he have been put through all of this? Zelda grit her teeth, angered by the thought. He had gone through so much strife and loss in the past couple of months, and had gotten little in return. Link deserved so much more recognition than he had gotten, and she knew this very well. Surely there was something she could do to formally address Link as the Hero of Hyrule, then everyone would know of his courage…

Link gently rubbed Zelda's back with his hand, stirring her from her thoughts. He smiled warmly, his eyes softer than they usually were. "Zelda…" he began to say, though he didn't know exactly what he wanted to tell her. He sighed quietly, holding her close. "Thank you for everything."

Zelda tried to compose herself as she held her head to his chest. Her thoughts were beginning to trouble her. She shook her head lightly, smiling to herself. "Thank you too, Link…" she answered, her arms still wrapped around the young man. "I… I'm not sure exactly what I would do without you." Of course she knew, though, because she wouldn't have been doing anything at all. Zelda would have been murdered in cold blood long ago by Zant, perhaps even Ganondorf, if he so wished. If Link hadn't rescued her, there is no doubting that she would be long-since deceased.

Oblivious to Zelda's thoughts, Link smiled, closing his eyes as he held the princess in his arms. Although he didn't realize it before that moment, Link felt as if he had loved Zelda all along. He had never felt that way before; he didn't know how to describe his feelings towards her. The word "love" hadn't ever been so much as uttered by Link throughout his lifetime, but he knew exactly what it meant. It was… indescribable, how Link felt about Zelda. It seemed impossible to truly describe it in any manner other than using that word, and he knew it was true. He truly did feel that way for her.

"I don't know either, Zelda," he admitted as he held onto her. He suddenly thought to himself and let go of her, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I mean, to you, Zelda," he tried to specify. "I… don't know what I would do without _you."_ His eyes went wide as he stared at the ground, trying not to meet her gaze. "_Oh my gosh, what's wrong with me…" _he whispered to himself as he shook his head, turning away.

The wise princess shook her head slightly, suppressing a smile. "I know, Link…" she told him, stepping forward in an attempt to meet his gaze. He turned his head slightly, looking into her eyes sheepishly. Zelda extended her hand outwards, Link doing the same, and they grabbed onto each other's hands. She smiled at him, happy that he was there with her. The young man leaned forward, locking his lips onto hers. For a moment, all was at peace in their minds and time slowed down yet again. There was no sound, and they were the only two people in the world. They were content with each other, not bothered by anything.

Colin stood a few feet away from the two of them, cocking his head slightly as he held his arms behind his back. He didn't want to be rude an interrupt them, so he stood there for a moment in silence. When they still didn't pull away from each other for a long while, he decided to step in. He cleared his throat loudly, causing Link to gasp as he let go of Zelda. Startled, the princess shrieked, her eyes flying wide open in surprise.

"I'm sorry to bother you two," Colin started timidly, not wanting to look up into their eyes, "but… I wanted to talk with you guys. Er- I mean, uh… you both, since you aren't both guys…"

The young princess tried to compose herself as she took a step forward and knelt down to meet Colin's eye level. "Of course you can speak with us," she assured the little boy, smiling kindly at him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, your highness," he shook his head, frowning. "It's just that… I wanted to talk to you guys about Ilia."

Link sighed in exasperation at the thought of Ilia, crossing his arms. "What was wrong with her?" he asked, puzzled. "I mean, she's never acted like this before. She can be bossy sometimes, sure, but… she's never been this way."

The child sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck. "She hasn't been the same since she regained her memory…" Colin remarked, frowning. "She never would have acted this way before."

Zelda perked her head up, furrowing her brow. "You say that she recently… regained her memory?" she asked, oblivious to the situation. "She suffered from amnesia?"

Colin nodded, though not entirely sure what the word "amnesia" meant. "Yeah… after we were kidnapped by King Bulblin, the rest of us were separated from Ilia. When Link brought her back here from Castle Town… she didn't remember anything. Thanks to Link, she got her memory back, but… well, she isn't really the same as she was before."

The princess bit her cheek in deep thought, standing up and putting her arms around her back. She began to pace around Link in circles, pensively. "Perhaps her reaction is purely psychological. The stress from recently regaining her memory may have negatively impacted her mood, causing her to act so tersely with us…"

She continued to ramble on about her explanations for the situation while Link and Colin stared at her, trying to understand the words that were coming out of her mouth. Suddenly, a small voice spoke out from behind them.

"Maybe she just doesn't like _you, _Zelda," Malo pointed out, walking out into the open. They all turned to look at the young child, not knowing what to say.

Another voice, a feminine one, came from the opposite direction. "Why would anybody not like Princess Zelda?!" Beth barked, in an attempt to tell Malo to stop talking. She narrowed her eyes at him, glancing back and forth between Zelda and Malo. "Don't be silly, Malo. Zelda is _amazing."_

Yet another voice chimed in, this one from right behind Malo. "Yeah, plus she's hot," the voice stated. It must have been Talo.

Link turned on his heel and glared at Talo, crossing his arms. It was as if the child had no filter whatsoever. "Where did you all come from?" he asked, obviously unhappy with all of them.

Beth ignored Link's question as she grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes at Talo. "What is WRONG with you?!" she asked, stomping forward to meet him. "She is a PRINCESS! Do you REALIZE how UNGENTLEMANLY you sound?!"

"Oh, c'mon!" Talo exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "That was a compliment! Right, Zelda?" Talo turned to the princess expectantly, raising an eyebrow.

"Um…" was all she could mutter as she stared at her feet, her cheeks bright red.

Link crossed his arms, stepping forward. "It doesn't matter, Talo," he snapped at him, shaking his head.

Beth nodded her head triumphantly, crossing her arms. "Princess Zelda is a guest here, and you aren't supposed to-"

"What?" Talo interrupted. "People aren't allowed to comment on how aesthetically pleasing a certain guest is?" They were all silent for a moment as Talo rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Beth, if you could hear how silly you sound sometimes…"

The little girl scoffed, clenching his fists. "How silly _I _sound, Talo? Oh, that's rich. You are SO disrespectful! It is NOT a compliment to call someone 'hot'!"

"Since when?" Talo asked skeptically, shaking his head. "Last time I checked, being hot was a good thing."

"Why, you little-" Beth began, stomping forward towards Talo. Zelda stepped forward, firmly putting a hand in front of Beth. The little girl looked up at the princess, her eyes wide.

"It's all right," Zelda told her, nodding and blinking slowly. "Be calm, Beth…"

Beth's eyes lit up instantly as she nodded rapidly, stepping away from Talo. "O-of course, Princess Zelda. Anything for you…" With that, Beth skipped away excitedly, squealing to herself.

Link shook his head, putting a hand on his forehead. The young man turned to Malo. "Why would Ilia not like Zelda?" he asked, wracking his brain to find a reason why Ilia may not be particularly fond of Zelda.

Malo raised an eyebrow at Link, crossing his arms. "Don't you see? She's envious of her."

"Why would she be envious of me?" Zelda asked, cocking her head slightly in thought.

The young boy shook his head, sighing in exasperation. "You know, for the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom, you really aren't the wisest, are you?" Malo asked, causing Link to glare at him. The little boy ignored him, continuing on with his hypothesis. "Ilia is envious of you, oh, WISE princess, because you and Link spend so much time together, not to mention the fact that you two are…" he shuddered, "ROMANTICALLY involved. Link and Ilia have been close for as long as they've both been alive, and she feels threatened by you."

Zelda bit her lip pensively, realizing that Malo had a fair point. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her gut at the thought that Ilia's behavior was because of her.

Link frowned slightly, knowing that Malo was right. Ilia's anger was directed at Zelda and the possibility of her failing to heal Link. Ilia truly did worry for him. He stood up taller, clearing his throat after a moment of silence. "Well, she just… Ilia will just have to get over it," he proclaimed contemptuously as he shook his head. "It's not like she's my mother or anything…"

Malo glared at Link, not able to believe that he would so easily turn against his childhood friend. "Maybe if you had a mother, you wouldn't be so uncivil!" Malo retorted, turning on his heel and walking away.

Zelda frowned, staring at her feet as she could sense the rage in Link's eyes. She lifted her head up to look at Link as he grit his teeth, his eyes narrowed towards the boy as he walked away. Talo could sense Link's anger and he quickly turned around in the same direction as his brother, running after him, leaving only Zelda, Link, and Colin.

The young boy frowned, wringing his hands. "Don't listen to him, Link," he advised him, trying to calm Link down. "He's foolish."

"C-Colin's right, Link," Zelda stuttered, her voice softer than usual. She gingerly took a step forward as she gently placed a hand on the furious young man's back. "Malo is just a child; he doesn't-"

"Doesn't what, Zelda?!" Link nearly snapped, the veins in his neck more prominent than before. He paused for a minute as she took her hand off of his back, and he laughed coldly. "He knows exactly what he's saying. He just doesn't know…" Link stopped for a minute. He slouched forward, averting Zelda's gaze. "He doesn't know what it feels like…" He felt a lump in his throat as he put his head in his hands, shaking his head. "He doesn't know…"

The princess's eyes teared up for the young man as she stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist. She leaned her head onto his chest, exhaling deeply as she tried her hardest not to let herself cry. She knew that she had to be strong for Link in order to cheer him up. Zelda rubbed Link on the back, closing her eyes. Her parents, the former King and Queen of Hyrule, were not around anymore. They had died just a few years prior, but that was different, as Zelda thought. She knew her parents and was raised by them, whereas Link had never had the privilege to meet his parents. She couldn't imagine how awful he must have felt.

"I'm sorry, Link…" she apologized, frowning as she held onto him.

He shook his head, frowning. "It isn't your fault… I shouldn't have yelled at you like I did. I'm so sorry…"

The princess frowned, placing a hand on his chest. "You were in pain. I can't blame you-" she started, but she was cut off by Link.

"I had no excuse," he stated firmly, sighing slightly. "I just… I'm so sorry." Link pulled her close to him, not wanting to let go.

She rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes. Her hands clutched onto him tightly in fear that he would leave. "I'm always here for you Link. I always will be. If there's anything wrong, then… promise me that you'll let me know, okay?"

He nodded quickly as he smiled sadly. "Of course I will. I promise…" he assured her, trying his best to console her. His hand gently rubbed her on the back as he sighed, leaning his head onto her shoulder.

Colin stared at the two of them, frowning as he cleared his throat and turned on his heel. He hated seeing Link so upset; Link was like a role model to him. The little boy walked off, not even sure that the two teenagers knew of his presence.

"So…" Link began, trying his best to change the subject. "When is your coronation ceremony?"

She thought for a minute, tensing up. Zelda took a step backwards, her face contorting in frustration. "It's… tomorrow night!" she exclaimed, her mouth agape. "I must return to the castle quickly!"

"Oh…" Link replied, audibly disappointed. He nodded slowly, frowning. "Okay, we'll just have to get going, then…" He opened the pouch on his belt and pulled out a whistle in the shape of the horse grass that he had used previously to call Epona. Just as he did before, he put the whistle between his lips, blowing into it and creating a lovely tune that flowed throughout the warm air.

Zelda quickly jumped out of the way as the horse charged straight towards her from Ordon Village. Epona neighed loudly, completely ignoring the princess as she ran up to Link. He smiled sadly, stroking Epona and climbing onto her back. He extended a hand to Zelda, pulling her up to sit behind him. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head against his back.

"Thank you, Link," she smiled at him, even though he couldn't see her. "You're amazing."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he gave a small smile. His eyes lit up as he put a hand on hers. "I love you, Zelda…" he told her.

She closed her eyes as she tiredly smiled at him, still leaning against him. "I love you too, Link…" she replied.

Without warning, Link yelled sharply, startling Zelda as she opened one eye, gripping onto Link tightly as Epona charged forward towards Faron Woods.

Hours later, as Zelda imagined, though she had fallen asleep on the way there and wasn't absolutely certain, the two young adults finally arrived near the entrance to Castle Town. The princess hurriedly leaped off of the horse, grabbing onto Link's hand and nearly pulling him off. The sun would be setting soon, and she had little time to waste. "The sun will be setting soon," she informed Link, nodding towards the horizon, "and I have little time to waste. We must hurry to the castle!"

Link raised an eyebrow as Zelda nearly dragged him along towards Castle Town. He wondered why she must be here so long before the actual coronation ceremony had begun.

They rushed through Castle Town, past all of the enthusiastic citizens who immediately recognized the dazzling young princess. The townspeople all shouted and cheered at the sight of her, elated at the sight of their very own ruler. Princess Zelda was well-known throughout all of Hyrule, and was respected by most of her citizens for her civility and kindness towards all of her subjects, no matter who they were. She always tried her best to keep her citizens close at heart, and the people of Castle Town were well known for doing the same to their sovereigns.

Princess Zelda and Link reached the door leading to the castle, where to guards stood at attention.

"Your highness," one said in a husky voice, nodding curtly, "the castle is still under extreme renovation at the moment from the recent damage it had suffered."

Link stared at his feet guiltily, remembering how Ganon had broken all of the pillars on one of the higher levels of the castle… and how Link had broken several of the pots and vases inside… and how he purposely destroyed all of the knight statues in fear that they would spontaneously come to life and attack. Not to mention the fact that one of the staircases was completely obliterated at some point.

"That's okay," Zelda answered him, nodding. "I don't expect that it will be completely repaired for quite a long time. But we must go through; I have to prepare for the ceremony taking place tomorrow night."

The second guard nodded to the other one, grabbing onto one of the door handles. The first guard grabbed onto the opposite handle, and they both pushed the enormous doors open, allowing the princess and Link to go forth.

They approached the gargantuan castle slowly, the awful memories of the battle with Ganondorf still etched into their minds. Not knowing his way around the castle very well, Link followed Zelda straight ahead where she went directly into the castle. Zelda was immediately approached by a tall, middle-aged woman.

"Thank goodness you're here, your highness!" the woman exclaimed, obviously worried. "We had no idea where you'd gone. You've arrived just in time! In just a few minutes, you are to try on a few of the gowns that we've had prepared for you, then we will all decide which one is most fitting for the occasion." The woman paused, out of breath from all of her chattering. She glanced back and forth between Link and Zelda. "May I ask who this is, your highness?"

"Oh," the princess cleared her throat, standing up tall. "This, Impa, is Link." Zelda turned to Link. "Link, this is Impa. She's an esteemed caretaker of mine." Link politely extended a hand forward towards the woman. She nodded at him, shaking his hand curtly.

"Pleasure to meet you, Link," Impa told him, letting go of his hand.

Before Link could talk, Zelda turned back to Impa. "You all are to treat Link with the utmost level of respect possible. He is to be treated as nobility, nothing less than how you would act towards me. Am I understood?" Zelda asked, putting her hands on her hips with clout.

Impa nodded quickly. "Yes, your highness. I'll inform the others as quickly as possible," she told Zelda, bowing slightly. The older woman quickly ran off towards the nearby guards.

Link turned to Zelda. "That… really isn't necessary," he said to her, shaking his head in protest. "I don't expect to be treated so-"

She raised her hand, shaking her head. "But I do. You deserve much more than you've been accredited for, and I'm going to make sure that you are recognized as the true hero that you are, Link." Zelda stepped forward, gently caressing his hand and smiling warmly at him. "You deserve to relax for once."

He sighed, still not convinced that he should be treated so formally, but he didn't want to say no to Zelda. He held onto her hand, nodding. "Alright," he finally agreed, "I'll do it. Just for you…"

The princess beamed at him, her eyes lighting up. "Good," she told him, relief in her voice. "You deserve it, Link."

Impa rushed over just moments later, grabbing Zelda by the arm. "It's time for your dress fitti- Oh DEAR! What happened to your dress?!" she asked, staring at the large rip at the bottom of Zelda's dress from when Zelda was healing Link.

"It's not important, Impa," Zelda assured her, taking her hand off of Link and smoothing her dress down.

The older woman shook her head, sighing in exasperation. She pulled on Zelda's arm slightly, nodding over to one of the doors nearby. "We need to get going," Impa told Zelda impatiently.

The young princess nodded, turning to Link with an apologetic look in her eyes. Link frowned slightly, shrugging his shoulders. Zelda quickly leaned forward, pecking him on the lips as Impa tried to pull her. Impa paused for a minute, glancing back and forth between Link and Zelda with a confused expression, her mouth slightly agape.

"W-what…" she stuttered, shaking her head in disbelief. She sighed, closing her eyes in frustration. "I'll ask later," she told them, pulling Zelda away with her.

Link watched as Impa took the princess away, his face deflating slightly. He sighed, kicking one of the nearby pillars, causing it to rumble loudly. His eyes went wide as he took a step backwards, hoping that nobody heard him. Unfortunately, all of the guards were narrowing their eyes at him. Not that he could tell, of course, because they were all wearing helmets. Maybe it was a good thing that Zelda told them to be kind to Link. In fact, he probably would have been thrown out of the castle by now if it weren't for her.

He sat down, leaning his head against the thick wall, frowning and staring at the floor. Link's mind wandered back to the morning that same day when he finally told Zelda that he loved her. The feeling that Link got when he found out that Zelda loved him back was one of the greatest feelings he'd ever felt. It was as if all of his troubles melted away when he was with Zelda, and there was nothing to worry about. But Zelda was somewhere else, and Link was alone once again. He closed his eyes, sighing as he tried to think of something else. It seemed that, no matter what Link tried to think of, Zelda always found her way back into his mind.

It was strange, Link thought, that he would be so upset over not being with Zelda, even though she had only left a few minutes ago, but he wanted so badly to be with her. It was as if he was dreaming when he held her in his arms, when he kissed her. She was his and only his, and that was the way that he wanted it. He wondered why he felt this way when she wasn't beside him. Then it finally came to him: this was what love truly felt like.


	6. The Coronation

A/N: Here's another chapter! For future reference, I apologize for the couple of time skips in this one. It wasn't that I didn't know what to write; I had a lot to say in this chapter! Plus, it's not like anything extremely interesting happened during those hours that weren't explained in detail :P I just don't want to bore everybody. But I digress… Thank you for your continued support/follows/favorites/reviews for this story! It means so much to me :D Oh, and while I don't have much time to personally respond to each of your reviews, if you ask me a question in one of the reviews, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I RESPOND. I pinky promise. Without further ado, here's the next chapter!

Chapter 6

Link awakened with a start when he felt someone nudging him on the shoulder. The room he had been sleeping in was still very much dark, the only illumination coming from the small moon beams that shone through the windows. The heavy velvet blanket was crumpled on the floor from when Link threw it off earlier in the night, but he was still sweating. He tried to adjust his eyes to the dim chamber, turning his head towards the blurry figure beside the bed. His eyes lit up immediately when he realized who it was.

"We must be quiet," she whispered, leaning closer so that he could hear her. "I'm not supposed to be in here." Link sat up straight, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her towards him. He locked his lips to hers, closing his eyes. He felt her smile into the kiss, pulling away shortly after.

"It's good to see you, Zelda," he grinned widely at her, letting go of her shoulders. The princess smiled slightly at him, her blue eyes illuminated by the moonlight.

He scooted over, patting the bed beside him. She sat down, nodding politely as she stretched her legs outward towards the foot of the bed. "Thank you," she told him graciously, resting her head against the headboard. Her hair was down completely, and she was wearing a plain white nightgown that looked to be made of silk… or satin.

Link was given a pair of loose-fitting pajama pants and a matching shirt to sleep in, even though he had insisted to the guards on sleeping in his clothes. Of course, they reminded him that he was to be treated as royalty, and then they practically shoved the clothes into his hands. He didn't have much of a choice. He scowled slightly at the memory, but quickly pushed his thoughts away.

"Why did you come here?" he asked, biting his cheek. He put his hand on hers, tilting his head at her. She glanced at the door and back to him. Zelda cleared her throat quietly, nervous that somebody would realize she was gone.

"I haven't been able to see you at all tonight," she frowned at him, holding onto his hand lightly, "so I figured that I would stay in here with you for the night."

His eyes softened slightly as he smiled warmly at her, yawning quietly. He lied down on his side, closing his eyes slightly. "I'm glad to hear it," he responded in a tired voice, still grinning at her.

Zelda lied down beside him, wide awake. "You're not going to sleep yet, are you?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

"What else do I do?" he asked, his eyes still closed. He rolled over onto his back, yawning again.

The princess paused for a moment, biting her lip. Without warning, she sat up straight, leaning down and connecting her lips to Link's. He opened his eyes once more, caught off guard as Zelda scooted closer to him. He sat up, now fully awake. The princess straddled his legs, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she feverishly pressed her lips against his. Link moaned quietly, closing his eyes as he held onto Zelda's hips.

"Gosh, I love you, Zelda…" he panted, leaning his forehead into hers. He tried not to think of how much he was sweating from the heat, the fact that Zelda was heating him up even more, and the entire situation that he was in.

She smiled at him, glad that he was finally awake. "I love you too, Link," she replied, scooting forward so that she was straddling his hips.

He gulped, wiping a bead of sweat from his eyebrows. How was it possible that she wasn't sweating as badly as he was? Zelda leaned forward to kiss him once more, but she paused for a moment. They heard slow footsteps outside of the room. The princess panicked, jumping off of Link and darting over to the door.

"Hide under the bed!" Link whispered loudly, his eyes wide in panic.

"I can't!" she whispered back, nodding to the bed. He leaned over the edge and saw that the bed was connected to the ground.

He rolled his eyes. "Figures…" he muttered to himself. The princess quickly moved behind the door as it slowly creaked open. She held her breath as Link dropped down onto the bed, acting as if he had been sleeping. Zelda was nearly crushed by the heavy door as it was pushed open farther, leaving her little breathing room. Impa entered the room, her eyes immediately focusing on the blanket crumpled on the floor beside the bed. She wrinkled her nose as she took a few steps forward, bending over and picking up the blanket.

"Silly boy," she muttered quietly as she walked over to the bed, throwing the hot blanket over Link as he pretended to sleep. Link's nostrils flared as he felt himself heat up even more, trying his best not to groan as Impa took a step backwards. She tilted her head at him, crossing her arms.

The boy snored loudly, causing Impa to cover her ears. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, walking back over to the door. "I swear he's going to awaken the entire kingdom…" she muttered to herself as she exited the chamber, closing the door behind her.

The princess nearly fell over, panting from having held her breath the entire time. Link threw the blanket off of himself and onto the floor once more. Zelda shook her head, regaining her breath, walking back over to the bed and taking a seat beside the boy.

"That was close call," Link remarked, shaking his head and fanning himself with his hand.

She nodded in agreement, giggling quietly. "Is something wrong?" she asked, finally noticing his sweating.

"Is it always this hot here?" he asked quietly, shaking his head.

Zelda smiled. "Perhaps your perception of heat is merely a reaction from another emotion you're feeling…" she suggested, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"And what would that be?" he asked, closing his eyes.

"Apprehension, perhaps?" she grinned, biting her lip slightly.

Link laughed nervously, realizing that she may be right. He averted her gaze, yawning and stretching his arms. "I don't know about you," he attempted to change the subject, "but I'm exhausted. We really should be getting to bed…" He lied down on his side, facing away from her as he frowned slightly.

"I suppose so," she agreed, seeing through his attempt at changing the subject but still playing along. She lied down beside him, facing the same direction. She put an arm around him, holding onto his hand. "There isn't anything wrong with feeling anxious," she remarked, smiling as she closed her eyes.

He looked down, smiling to himself slightly. Link turned around to face her, letting go of her hand to wrap his arms around her. They both smiled as he pulled her closer, and she buried her face into his neck, closing her eyes. She gripped the back of his shirt with her fists as he held her in his arms, oblivious to the rest of the world.

"Promise me that you'll stay with me during the ceremony," she whispered into his ear, unintentionally sending chills down his spine.

He nodded as he closed his eyes, burying his face into her hair and not wanting to let go. "I promise," he replied, having cooled down a bit.

Comforted, Zelda smiled slightly, holding onto Link as she realized how truly terrified she should have been, how terrified she would have been if she didn't have him. Fortunately for her, though, she did have Link. He was her comforter, someone who could help her overcome her anxiety. She knew it from the moment that she saw him in his true form, just after her physical form had been possessed by the evil King Ganondorf. Her body battled with Link, but she was ultimately defeated. The feeling that she had attacked her hero, even if it wasn't really her was… unbearable to Zelda. He could have been killed at her own hands. She never would have been able to live with herself if such a thing had happened.

"Thank you," she smiled, closing her eyes as she contentedly began to drift off.

His eyelids grew heavier and heavier by the moment as he held onto the princess, not a single doubt in his mind that he was truly in love with her.

The sun finally rose after several hours, illuminating the dark chamber and shining its light upon the fresh faces of both the hero and the princess. Almost immediately after the room was fully brightened by the sun, Impa came bounding in loudly, causing them both to violently stir awake. Impa glared down at the princess, crossing her arms contemptuously. "Have you any clue how much you frightened me, Zelda?" she snapped, gritting her teeth.

Link rubbed the back of his neck, staring down at his lap in an attempt to avert Impa's gaze. Zelda frowned, bowing her head slightly in shame. "I deeply apologize, Impa. I shouldn't have worried you as I did, and I am truly sorry for what I've done…" the princess apologized solemnly, frowning.

"I may not have the _political _authority that you have, Zelda," Impa started, narrowing her eyes, "but do not forget that I am your legal guardian until the time when you are of legal age. It's my responsibility to care for you for the time being, and I do not want you to be fooling around when you have other responsibilities. I won't do so much as ask what the two of you have been doing in here-"

"Impa," Zelda interjected, sitting up straight, "we haven't been doing anything fiercer than we should be doing at this age, if that's what you're implying…"

Link's face turned crimson as he hid his face, shaking his head and trying not to think about what was being implied.

Impa shook her head slightly, not quite believing the princess. She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. "Fortunately for you and the young man, I don't plan on scolding you for this to any further extent. However, this is simply because we are EXTREMELY busy today. Don't let me catch you two doing who-knows-what again. Am I understood?"

Princess Zelda nodded her head, even though she knew that she had spoken the truth to Impa.

"And you," Impa narrowed her eyes, pointing at Link. He lifted his head, clearing his throat and nodding. She took a step closer, not taking her eyes off of his. She sighed slightly, her eyes softening a bit in knowing that she should treat him more kindly after what he had done for the kingdom. He was a guest, after all. "You… I trust that you'll treat her like a princess, okay? She is one, and she deserves to be regarded as one. I know that you have a good heart, though, and… I know that you wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Just don't prove me wrong, boy."

Zelda smiled slightly as Link nodded assertively. "Of course I wouldn't hurt her," he said honestly, staring into Impa's eyes. "If there's anything that you can count on me for, it's that."

Impa smiled, staring at the ground. "Good," she said, nodding her head. She cleared her throat, shaking her head and trying to compose herself. "With that settled, we need to discuss the schedule for today. As you both know, the ceremony takes place at dusk. In the meantime, we have much preparation to go through. The guards will be prepping the courtyard while you both are dressed for the occasion. Trust me, there will be little time to dawdle, so don't get any ideas. Any questions?"

The young man thought for a moment before clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah, actually," he started, sitting up straight. "A large portion of the castle was obliterated before. Actually, the portion was enormous. How did you repair it so quickly?"

Impa pursed her lips. "I meant questions that are ON topic, Mr.… Link," she replied, not answering his question.

The princess knew how the castle had been renovated so rapidly, but she had the feeling that she shouldn't have said it. The lullaby that she had accidentally hummed before when she was with Link, the one that she wasn't supposed to let anybody outside of the Royal Family of Hyrule learn about, was much more than a lullaby. It was a sacred song that was first taught to one of Zelda's ancestors, one of the preceding princesses of Hyrule, when she was just a young child. The song was much more than it seemed, though. Although Zelda didn't know how, the lullaby was capable of repairing things, no matter what their size was. It must have been magic, Zelda had thought, though she had no idea why this song was a secret to all who had no connection to the Royal Family. Perhaps it was capable of much more than she knew herself.

The three of them were all silent for a minute. Impa nodded curtly, crossing her arms. "Good, then," she proclaimed, standing up taller. "Princess, I will escort you to your dressing room where you will try on your dresses once more so that we all can decide which will be most suitable for the ceremony. Link, you will be going to another one of the dressing rooms to try on clothes that have been chosen for you, as well."

"You picked them already?" he asked, wondering if Impa even slept last night.

Impa nodded curtly. "We're on a very tight schedule, mind you," she reminded him. "All last minute plans have been made, I can assure you." Before Link could speak again, she shook her head and interrupted. "Now that that's all settled, we must be off." Grabbing Zelda by the arm, she pulled her out of bed and briskly strode towards the door. Once again, the princess turned her head to Link, frowning. He waved at her, smiling sadly as Impa closed the door behind her. The young man sighed, hoping that Zelda would be okay until he saw her again.

It wasn't until hours later that Link was told that he was finally ready to attend the ceremony. The entire situation had been strange and mind-numbing, but he knew that it would all be worth it once he got to see Zelda again. He thought that his clothes that were 'worthy of nobility' made him look like an absolute fool, but he would still get to see the princess.

He was led by guards out to the courtyard in front of the enormous castle. The last of the sunlight beamed over the land as it slowly faded over the horizon, the heat slowly fading away into bitter wind. There were several elegant chairs lined up neatly in rows that were filled with several men and women that he didn't recognize. They were well dressed, and had a sort of upper class quality about them. They must have been connected to the Royal Family in some fashion. Taking one look at the crowd, Link knew that he didn't belong there.

The young man was seated in a chair that was between two others, and all were behind and slightly off to the side of a podium. Link's stomach churned as he breathed in deeply, sitting up straight and reminding himself that he had to go through with this. All of this was for Zelda. Never had she asked him a single favor before in the entire time that they had known each other. This was her hour of need, and he knew that he had to help her, just this one time. It was the least that he could do.

He noticed several torches that were all lit, creating a path from the castle entrance to the area nearby that he was in. Link heard the large doors of the castle creep open. He turned his head slowly towards the door, grinning widely when he was greeted by the sight of the person that he had waited so long to see. At least, it felt like a long time. He had begun to think that he wasn't ever going to see her, and yet, here she was, just as beautiful as ever.

As she was escorted out of the castle by Impa, Zelda wore a long white dress with short sleeves and light pink evening gloves. The details on the dress itself were similar to the one she usually wore, but the colors were softer with shades of pink and lilac. As usual, she bore the crest of her family on the front. Zelda's hair was down still, but it was brushed thoroughly and she wore a crown of white flowers. Link gasped at the sight of her, smiling in awe.

The princess's eyes darted over to meet his as he stared at her. Impa lead her over to the seat next to Link's, nodding at them both.

"Lucky we get to sit together, huh?" Link chuckled nervously, staring into her blue eyes.

Zelda nodded, barely managing a smile. "I requested it," she informed him, holding her breath. She held onto Link's hand tightly as she stared at the ground, not wanting to face the crowd.

"You look beautiful," he smiled at her, stroking her hand lightly with his thumb.

She smiled sadly, looking up at him. "You look handsome," she replied, her cheeks rosy.

Before he could answer, Impa walked up to the podium and cleared her throat, immediately gaining everyone's attention. "Greetings to all of you who have been given the honor of attending the royal coronation ceremony of Hyrule's very own Princess Zelda. Before the actual ceremony is to commence, I would like to say a few words about our dear, wise princess."

Link felt Zelda tighten her grip on his hand as she exhaled deeply, looking up at Impa and not daring to even glance at the crowd. Her nails dug into his palm as she took a deep breath, sitting up taller.

"My dearest Zelda had always seemed so ready to be the new leader of this kingdom, even since she was just a small child. She was destined for it. All who had the honor to know Zelda when she was growing up could see it clearly. Even her parents, the former leaders themselves, were quite aware of it. For the past four years, Zelda has been on her own. The growth of strength and character in her entire being has been obvious since then. While there is currently no other heir to the throne, I know that nobody else could ever compare to the young princess just behind me. If her parents, the late King and Queen of Hyrule, could see her as she is today, I know that they would be proud, just as I am."

Zelda bowed her head in memory of her mother and father, closing her eyes for a moment. Her grip on Link's hand loosened slightly as she opened her eyes. Link frowned slightly, empathizing with her. He felt that it must have been horrible to lose her parents in the blink of an eye. He had never known his parents, but it must have been different to lose those who you had known for such a long time, Link thought.

Impa cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. "I… present to you, our very own lovely Princess Zelda of Hyrule, heir to the throne of the Royal Family."

Link could sense the princess's heart racing as she stood up, shakily letting go of his hand. She held her head high as the large crowd applauded, eagerly cheering her on. Impa sat down in the chair on the other side of Link, sitting up straight as Zelda arrived at the podium. The young man and the older woman both hoped that she would be okay, but they knew that their faith in her would always be justified by her bravery.

She took a deep breath as she set her hands on the platform so that they would stop shaking. "Thank you," she started, trying to hide her trepidation. "Before I can allow this ceremony to begin, I must first speak of the terrifying events that have occurred over the past few weeks, or more importantly, the one who ceased them."

Link's eyes went wide as he stared at his lap, biting his cheek in apprehension. Impa looked over at him, smiling sadly as she rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm his nerves.

The princess closed her eyes, sighing. "As you all know, there was an undeniable evil that threatened the land, threatened the very population of my kingdom. I'm afraid that I was forced to step down from my throne, however temporarily, in order to spare the lives of my people for that short time. However, even with the temporary hiatus of threat, it did not last long enough. There was only one person in the entire land of Hyrule who could save us all for good. That man's name is Link…" She opened her eyes, knowing that she had to tell the rest of her story. Her hands trembled as she balled them into fists, refusing to go back. "If Link hadn't come along wielding the legendary Master Sword, there would be no coronation ceremony, because there would be no princess to become a queen. I would have been killed, but Link saved me. His unbreakable spirit was the sole thing that has kept us all alive after these dreaded times of darkness. He has gone through countless hours of slaying beasts and putting his own life at risk for the sole purpose of defeating that evil. Although he started out from the humble village of Ordon, he has prevailed as the true hero of this land. If you should be giving your thanks to anybody in this kingdom, it should be Link, as he is the one who allowed it to survive."

Impa motioned for Link to rise. He steadied himself onto his feet, waving uneasily to the audience. The crowd applauded at the sight of the heroic young man, though it was hard for some to believe that someone of his status could rescue an entire kingdom. He bit his cheek, steadily walking over to stand at Zelda's side. He quickly grabbed onto her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers.

"I wouldn't be here standing before all of you if Link hadn't come to aid in Hyrule's hour of desperation, but he defeated the lurking evil and sealed it away so that we could all be safe, risking his own life on several different occasions. Link is a true hero to the kingdom of Hyrule, a vigilante. Henceforth, he is officially to be recognized as a citizen of nobility throughout the entire land of Hyrule," Zelda proclaimed, boldly staring out into the royal crowd. She felt Link tighten his grip as they all applauded once more, moved by the words of the wise young princess.

Link's blue eyes stared longingly at the princess. It was the first time that he had seen her in several hours, but he still couldn't speak to her in private. He was amazed at her persistence, amazed at all she had gone through all for him. It didn't matter to him how he was treated by others. As long as he had Zelda, he knew that he was going to be okay.

The princess turned to face him, leaning forward and pecking him on the cheek. Link blushed slightly, knowing that they were being watched by everybody, but it was likely that they believed that the peck on the cheek was just friendly. Link, Zelda and Impa all knew differently, though.

After Link had sat back down, the real ceremony finally began. It was dull to Link, mostly, because he had a hard time trying to figure out what many of the words being used actually meant. All he could do as Zelda read an oath from her book was stare at her longingly, silently admiring her.

Zelda was not required to acknowledge Link as the hero of Hyrule; she simply did so because she had felt compelled to. Along with all of the other citizens of the large kingdom, Link was quite aware of the kindness ever residing in the princess's heart. After years of fair and respectful ruling over her land, Zelda owed nothing to her people. Yet, she acted as if she did, constantly working diligently and depriving herself of leisure time so that her subjects could lead happy lives. Zelda's altruism astounded Link, just as it had astounded his dear friend Midna.

The ceremony finally came closer to its end. Impa motioned for Zelda to kneel down as she stood in front of her. A guard stood at Impa's side, carefully holding a small cushion in his hands with an ornamental crown set on top of it. The older woman carefully picked up the delicate crown, gazing into the gleaming metal. Zelda bowed her head, removing her crown of white flowers as gently placing it on the ground. Impa slowly stretched her arms outward, careful not to drop the fragile crown as she gently placed it on Zelda's head.

The audience applauded loudly, cheering at the sight of the new Queen of Hyrule.

All of the sudden, there was a loud roar of thunder that startled most of the crowd, causing them to jump. They all looked skyward as the rain made its way down. As if by magic, it began to pour on all of the audience, Impa, Link, and Zelda. Link quickly stood up, sprinting over to Zelda. He picked up the book that she had been reading out of earlier, using it to cover her head. She picked up her crown of flowers off of the ground, frowning as Link and Impa were both drenched by the rain.

"Both of you head back to the castle and get inside," Impa spoke loudly over the rain, nodding over to the main entrance. "I'll make sure that everybody is all right."

"You'll catch a cold if you're out here too long!" Zelda replied, shivering.

Impa waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head. "I won't be long," she answered Zelda, jogging over to the frantic crowd of people.

Link and Zelda nodded at each other, quickly turning around to face the castle. They ran over to the doors as quickly as their feet could carry them, shuddering from the biting rain. The young woman looked over her shoulder at Impa who was frenziedly gathering everyone around. She looked around, trying to tell if anyone was missing.

"Congratulations, Zelda," Link smiled sweetly at her, still holding the book over her head.

The new Queen of Hyrule smiled slightly, putting her arms behind her back. "I'm happy to aid my people in any way that I can."

Link nodded, glad to have the honor to know someone with such a good heart. He took a quick glance around to make sure than nobody was watching and quickly grabbed her by the waist, pulling her in close and closing the space between them. He feverishly connected his lips to hers, holding onto her tightly. It was a strange kind of torture to him, being kept away from Zelda for so many hours. He couldn't help himself when he finally got to be alone with her; he had to kiss her, just as he had wanted to do all day. Only, little did they know at that moment, they weren't alone.

Zelda opened her eyes slowly, looking over Link's shoulder to find a short young woman behind him. She was dressed formally, undoubtedly a part of the audience. Zelda pulled away from Link, gasping at the sight of the girl. The young hero turned around to face the girl, biting his lip when he saw her. The young queen clutched the crown of flowers in one hand, the rain pouring on the three of them.

They were all silent for a moment before the young woman suddenly turned on her heel, dashing away from Link and Zelda. They both stared at the ground, their minds racing as the rain relentlessly thumped down.

The young queen and her hero both knew that they shouldn't be ashamed, because they truly did love each other. But… what if the girl told everybody about what she had just seen? Then everyone would know about their relationship. It was nobody else's business!

Zelda frowned, holding onto Link's hand fearfully as they watched the girl run off to blend into the crowd of people.

Link furrowed his brow as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't worry, Zelda…" he tried to reassure her in a wavering voice. "I'm sure that we'll be okay." In all honesty, Link was just as unsure as the young woman beside him. For now, all they could do is speak words of comfort and reassure themselves that things would turn out okay.

They both sighed as Zelda leaned her head onto Link's shoulder, clutching the flowers in her hand. He pecked her on the forehead, smiling slightly as he closed his eyes. "We'll be just fine…"

Zelda nodded, trying to reassure herself as she gripped onto Link's hand firmly. "I suppose we should go inside now," she proclaimed quietly, turning towards the door.

He nodded curtly, opening the door for her and heading inside behind her, still holding her hand. He frowned as the rain continued on, still audible after the door had been closed. Link held Zelda in his arms, the eerie sound of the rain from outside echoing throughout the halls. The two were alone once again.

A/N (again): So... I ended the chapter on a bit of a cliffhanger. Sorry XD Don't worry, I assure you that the wait will be worth it when Chapter 7 is posted next Sunday. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D


	7. Implications

A/N: Notice for followers of this story: In less than two weeks, I'll be going on vacation for a little while. Hopefully, I'll be able to post the next chapter on time, but I'm not certain so… if I don't, then… I apologize in advance. However, I'm currently writing the next chapter and I'm hoping that I get to post it on time, so it should be just fine. Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoy, and thank you for all of your continued support! :D

Chapter 7

The young queen's eyes focused on the ground as she sat on a small loveseat in her chamber. The young hero sat next to her, tiredly leaning his head on her shoulder. His eyelids drooped as he frowned slightly, hoping that Zelda was okay.

"We have nothing to worry about, Zelda," he assured her, rubbing her shoulder lightly. "It doesn't matter what anybody else says about us. We'll be fine, so long as we stick together."

Zelda nodded slightly, though she still felt apprehensive about the situation. "I suppose you're right, Link," she replied hesitantly, twiddling her thumbs. "They have no right to tell me who I can and cannot be with…"

"Exactly," Link smiled at her sweetly, leaning his head on her shoulder once again. She smiled, glad that Link was always there for her when she needed him. Before Link came along, Zelda had nobody but Impa to turn to for help. Unfortunately, Impa was usually busy running errands around Castle Town. Having Link there with her at that moment eased Zelda's nerves, washing her troubles away like a wave. Even the sound of his voice soothed her.

The young man opened his eyes wider, biting his cheek pensively. He thought back to a conversation that he had with Zelda the day before. "Hey, Zelda?" he asked, sitting up straight.

She turned her head to face him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" she replied, tilting her head slightly. "Is something the matter, Link?"

He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "I… had a question for you," he told her, his cheeks turning beet red.

"Oh?" she answered, sitting up straight. She cleared her throat, wondering what it could be. "What is it?"

"It's just that…" he started, averting her gaze. "I've been thinking about it, and… a-are you… are you my… girlfriend?"

Zelda blushed as she smiled at him, giggling slightly. She was giggling at how uneasy he had seemed, though it was ironic, because she felt similar. "Well…" she started, biting her cheek, "I suppose I am, Link… and you're my inamorato."

Link cocked his head slightly at her word choice, not quite knowing what she was saying. He bit his lip. "I'm your… what?" he asked, slightly embarrassed for not being able to understand her.

The young woman grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She brought her face close to his, her deep blue eyes piercing his. "Boyfriend," she specified, giggling as he held her close.

The young hero's face lit up as the word came out of her mouth, his joy warming his entire body. Or perhaps he was just sweaty again.

He bit his cheek, beaming at her. "That's… that's great!" he replied, laughing and pressing his warm lips up to hers. Zelda smiled into the kiss, resting her hands on the nape of Link's neck. She giggled as he pulled her onto his lap, craning his neck and kissing her cheek.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, staring into his sharp, light blue eyes. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he looked, especially now that he was dressed up for the ceremony. Zelda smiled at him. "It's none of their concern," she remarked, gazing into his stunning eyes. "We can do whatever we desire to."

Link grinned slightly, suddenly remembering something. "About this morning," he started, staring at Zelda, "what was it, exactly, that Impa was implying about our night together?"

Her cheeks turned bright red as she averted his gaze. "Oh, you know…" she coughed, biting her cheek. She had the feeling that he knew exactly what Impa had implied.

"Do I?" he asked innocently, cocking his head. Link leaned his face in closer to hers, causing her to blush even more. "If I didn't know better, I would say that she thought that we've been doing, well… more than has actually been going on…"

"Well, we _have _been spending quite a bit of time together…" she muttered, biting her cheek. "But… but Impa's being ridiculous! She believes such silly things, sometimes…"

The young man twirled a piece of Zelda's hair around his finger as she looked up at him. "Well, it's not _THAT_ farfetched…" he remarked.

She chuckled nervously, shaking her head. "I… suppose it isn't, really," she agreed with him, holding onto his hand. Her heart raced as he leaned forward, connecting his lips to hers fervently. Zelda moaned quietly, her eyes fluttering closed as she held onto him tightly.

"What isn't that farfetched?" a voice asked from across the room.

Zelda's eyes flew open as Link let go of her, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards onto the floor. She sat up quickly as she turned her head towards the doorway, only to find Impa crossing her arms and staring at the two of them impatiently.

"Impa!" Zelda shrieked, standing up. "W-where did you come from?"

"The two of you were supposed to be downstairs for the banquet 5 minutes ago!" she replied shortly, tapping her foot.

"Right," Zelda nodded, hoping that Impa wouldn't ask what was going on. Link stood up, averting Impa's gaze as his cheeks flushed. He followed Zelda as she and Impa exited the room in silence. The older woman closed the door behind them. "You'd both best get those guilty looks off of your faces first," she advised them, leading the two adolescents down the large flight of stairs. They looked at each other, smiling awkwardly and turning away.

When the three arrived, Impa escorted them to their seats. Impa sat between Link and Zelda. How convenient.

Link could barely believe the ludicrous amount of food that was set on the table. It was enough to feed an entire kingdom! They was only 100 other people there, at the most! Still, it all looked delicious…

"My dear Zelda," slurred a stout old man sitting across the table, holding a glass of wine. "What's it like, being the new Queen of Hyrule?"

She cleared her throat, sitting up tall. "It's an honor to serve my people," she replied, nodding curtly.

"You want a drink?" he asked, swishing around his glass.

"No thank you," she responded politely, shaking her head. "I don't plan on being intoxicated-"

"Aw, c'mon," he hiccupped, chuckling as he leaned forward. "No one really has to know, you know. Don't be so prudish…"

"She said no," Link interjected tersely, narrowing his eyes at the man.

The old man raised an eyebrow, tossing his wine glass over his shoulder. Impa gasped, glaring at the man as she stood up, running to the other side of the table to clean it up. "A bit protective, aren't you? Standing up for Zelda like that?"

Link scowled at him, clenching his fists. "You're just a drunk fool. You have no right to treat her like that."

Zelda glanced back and forth between the two of them as Impa cleaned up the glass on the floor, oblivious to the situation. "Gentlemen," she started calmly, trying not to make things worse, "I advise that you both calm yourselves…"

"I'm no fool," the man barked, ignoring the young queen as he leaned forward. "You'd do best to respect your elders, boy!"

"Why should I respect someone who treats me as inferior?" Link snapped back, gritting his teeth. "Only a fool would find that sensible, and I'm not the fool here!"

"Stop this nonsense!" Zelda shouted, gritting her teeth as the two men fell silent. She pointed at the door. "I will not tolerate this sort of foolishness! If you are both going to act so childishly, you can take it somewhere else!"

The room fell silent as Zelda glared daggers at the two of them. Impa looked over at the young girl, raising an eyebrow. "Is this man giving you trouble, Link?" Impa asked, clearing her throat and sitting up.

The young man scowled at the older man for a moment, his eyes burning with anger. He sighed in exasperation, knowing that he shouldn't make things worse. "No," he replied, leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms. "There's no problem."

Impa glanced between the two men suspiciously. "Whatever you say, Link. Just let me know if anything is wrong…"

The young queen sat up straight, shaking her head. "I can assure you that nobody will be giving anybody trouble." Zelda narrowed her eyes slightly, shifting her gaze towards the two men. The older man cleared his throat as Link stared at his lap, biting his cheek.

A younger man with dark hair who was sitting next to Link spoke up, smirking. "The last thing that our new queen needs is more of a hard time. She's already getting plenty of that from Link…"

Link, Zelda and Impa's eyes all went wide as they sharply turned their heads towards the young man. "What are you implying, sir?" Link asked brusquely, gritting his teeth at the man beside him.

The other young man rolled his eyes tiredly, yawning and leaning his head onto his hand. "Oh, don't act so innocent," he replied, still smirking at Link. "I think we all know exactly why our dear Queen Zelda has taken such a liking to you."

The young hero scoffed as Zelda locked eyes with Impa, their expressions full of unease. Link glared at the young man beside him, clenching his fists and leaning forward aggressively. The other boy put his hands into the air defensively, chuckling. "There's no need to be so upset, my fine sir," he laughed, shaking his head. "If anything, we should all be calling you an idol."

"Why is that?" Link asked, not daring to lower his gaze.

"You're the one who managed to get a beautiful girl such as Zelda to put out," he answered, smiling deviously at Link.

The tension in the room grew even stronger as the boys words echoed in the air. The young hero could barely believe it. He had never done anything of the sort with Zelda! "I did not!" was all that Link could say as his cheeks burned as hot as fire. Zelda closed her eyes, sighing in exasperation as Impa stood up in her defense, walking over to the foolish boy.

Link clenched his fists at his sides, pivoting on his heel and marching off towards the door. Zelda hurried after Link as Impa scolded the young man for being so impolite.

"Link, stop!" Zelda urged the furious young man as he stomped down the hallway. She closed the door behind her as he continued on, grumbling to himself. Where was he going? He didn't even know his way around the castle! "Please stop, Link!" she told him worriedly, running after him as he climbed up a flight of stairs. She finally managed to catch up to him once they reached the top of the steps.

Zelda grabbed onto his shoulder, turning him around to face her. "You must ignore them, Link," she advised him, frowning with wide eyes. "That young man is a fool. He knows nothing about us."

His nostrils flared as he scowled at the floor. "Y-you shouldn't let people treat you like that, Zelda!" he shook his head frowning. "They treat you like you're just some girl, but you're not! You deserve so much more than this!"

She smiled sadly at him, putting a cold hand on his cheek. "My job is simply to protect my people, Link," she told him. He looked into her eyes, frowning. "I cannot control them, nor do I wish to. I can only control my own life. I have no right to punish them for such trivial reasons."

"You do so much for everyone, Zelda…" he shook his head, holding her hand in his. "They have no right to treat you like this…"

"Link," she started, closing her eyes as she shook her head. "They treat me just as they would treat anyone else. I expect nothing more from them, as it is _my_ job to take care of _them._ Just as a parent does not expect thanks for raising their child, I expect nothing more from my subjects. It is my duty to do take care of them, and I need no thanks."

Link sighed as he wrapped his arms around Zelda's waist, pulling her close to him. She rested her chin on his shoulder, exhaling slowly. His eyes softened slightly as he thought to himself quietly. "You don't owe them anything, Zelda…" he said to her, shaking his head.

Zelda pursed her lips slightly, leaning her head back and looking at him for a moment. "Link…" she started, resting her hands on his shoulders as she bit her lip pensively. "My family owes much more to the people of Hyrule than you may believe."

He cocked his head slightly, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Why would your family owe anything to them?"

Her eyes softened as she thought back to the story that Impa had told her years ago. She exhaled through her nose. "As you may or may not know, I am not the first princess in the royal family to be named Zelda. It is by tradition of the Royal Family of Hyrule that every female descendant of royal blood is to be given the name Zelda. It is an age old tradition, dating back long before the Era of the Hero of Time. While those ancestors lived in times much different from the one that we are currently living in, it seems that so many have been forced to deal with evil beings similar to those that we have recently faced. Despite the continued effort given from my family, despite how much we must go through in an attempt to cease that evil, it seems that, without further help, we are nearly useless in that respect. Without a courageous hero on our side who will fight for us, we have an almost insignificant impact. My family has always been quite aware of this. In penance for our inability to control the evil that never ceases to make its way into our kingdom, the least that we can do is protect our citizens to our best ability."

"You've made a much bigger impact than you may believe, Zelda," he told her matter-of-factly, biting his cheek. "I couldn't have brought down Ganondorf without your help." Before Zelda could protest, Link pulled her closer to him, enveloping her in his arms and vehemently pressing his lips against hers.

She melted into the kiss, the muscles in her face softening as she cradled his face in her hands. The feeling of being held so closely to Link made Zelda feel secure, which was a feeling that didn't seem to cross her mind very often. Her previous worries seemed to vanish as she felt her lips grow warm, her entire body energized.

His fingertips caressed the soft fabric of her gown, Zelda's lips sending shivers down his spine. He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers. He smiled, closing his eyes. "Nobody is going to tell us what to do," he assured her. "I won't let them. You… you mean the world to me, Zelda. I wouldn't ever let anything happen to you."

The young queen's eyes were pricked with tears as she lowered her head slightly, smiling to herself. "Thank you, Link…" she whispered, closing her eyes in an attempt to prevent herself from crying. She rested her chin on Link's shoulder, pursing her lips as she stared at the wall behind him. "Thank you so much…"

The young man leaned back, lightly cupping her chin in his hand. A tear slowly rolled down her cheek as she stared at the ground. Link frowned, gently wiping the tear away with his thumb. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

She shook her head, chuckling to herself as she lifted her gaze. "Nothing, Link. Nothing at all…" Zelda threw her arms around his neck, startling the boy as she feverishly pressed her lips against his. After a moment, he placed his hands on her waist, humming contentedly.

They both heard the door from down the stairs open loudly. They pulled their lips away from each other, though they didn't notice that they were still holding on to the other. The two of them both gazed down the stairway, wondering if they were being pursued.

Impa suddenly came into view as she hurried up the stairs, a worried expression on her face. She pivoted on her heel, turning to face the two teenagers. "Are you two all right?" she asked worriedly, frowning.

Link nodded, smiling cheekily. "We're great," he assured her.

"I… see that now," Impa remarked, rubbing the back of her neck as she stared at them. They suddenly realized why she was staring and quickly pulled away from each other, blushing. Impa smirked slightly before clearing her throat, composing herself. "I had a stern conversation with that boy about manners and, well… common decency. He won't be bothering you anymore, but… if the news is out about the two of you, there will undoubtedly be pandemonium, and the news will spread rapidly. I suggest that you both return to Ordon for a bit longer, just long enough for things to calm down."

Zelda and Link looked at each other, contemplating the situation. The young woman cleared her throat, nodding her head. "I suppose that it would indeed be the wisest choice if we were to let things calm down for a little while…" she agreed, her eyes deep in thought.

Link felt slightly queasy at the thought of everybody knowing about him and Zelda, not to mention the fact that the others likely believed that he and Zelda had done more than had actually happened between them…

"You two had better get going," Impa advised them, pursing her lips.

"What are we to do if we're followed?" Zelda asked her, glancing at Link.

The older woman shook her head slightly, clasping her hands together. "I'll make sure that nobody sees you leave. I'll distract them."

"What are you supposed to tell them?" Link questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What if they ask where we are?"

Impa shook her head hastily. "Don't worry about it, boy," she answered, grabbing Zelda and Link by their shoulders and pushing them towards another door. "I'll figure it out. Now, get going! Link, you can call your horse using that whistle of yours. Run along, now!" She turned away, running down the staircase as quickly as she could.

Zelda grabbed onto Link's hand, leading him to a door at the end of the corridor. She pushed the door open, revealing another narrow hallway with two staircases at the end of it. She hurried forward, closing the door behind them. Zelda led Link down one of the staircases, taking them to yet another hallway. She pressed on through the confusing layout of the castle as Link followed along, dumbfounded.

"You sure know your way around the castle," he remarked, chuckling to himself.

She smiled, running her hand along the cold stone wall as they walked along. "The castle is my home," she reminded him, "of course I'm able to navigate it. You can navigate your house, can't you?"

"I think we can both agree that my house is much, _much _different from yours," he joked, shaking his head.

Zelda laughed, opening another door. "Spending their entire life in one place causes one to become accustomed to that environment," she told him, nodding her head slightly. The bitter wind blew through the door and into the hallway, the ice cold rain stinging their faces. "This way will take us back to Hyrule Field," she explained to him, trying her best to ignore the stormy weather.

He nodded, frowning slightly as they stepped out into the rain. Link bit his cheek as Zelda tried to conceal her shivering as she closed the door behind them. "O-okay, Link," she told him, her teeth chattering, "you should call for Epona, now…"

Link reached for the pouch on his belt, only to find that it wasn't there. His eyes went wide as he realized that he didn't have the same clothes that he had before. The Hero's Clothes were still in the castle! Zelda realized their predicament just as Link did. They stared at each other for a moment, not knowing what to do.

The young woman bit her lip pensively. "The rain should cease fairly soon," she remarked, looking up at the sky. "Surely we could travel without Epona…"

"Are you sure?" Link asked worriedly, noticing how drenched Zelda's beautiful gown already was.

She sighed, crossing her arms. "We don't seem to have much of a choice, Link," she pointed out, frowning.

Link furrowed his brow as he frowned, nodding. He and Zelda turned around towards the vast field, sighing at how far away the forest seemed. They began to venture towards the faraway province, shivering as the rain poured down on them.

"So… how did Impa know about the whistle that I use to call Epona?" he asked, gazing over at her.

"Oh…" she said, blushing slightly as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Well… when she first took me to the dress fitting, she asked about you and I. She was concerned, since she didn't know you personally. So… I told her all about you."

He smiled slightly, raising an eyebrow at her. "What did you tell her?"

I told her that you're the sweetest man I've ever met," she beamed at him, gazing into his eyes.

Link chuckled nervously, holding onto her hand as they continued along on their journey back to Ordon Village. "I'm glad you think so," he laughed breathily as the rain finally came to a stop. The sun shined down on the two adolescents as they held each other's hands, knowing that they were going to stay together, no matter what happened.


	8. One Rainy Night

A/N: Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry that this chapter is late! I've been so busy lately, and I truly do apologize for my tardiness. I hope that nobody is too upset over this. The next chapter probably won't be posted on time either, but hopefully I'll get things back on the right track afterwards. ANYWAY, with that settled, I must tell you that this chapter is rated T for violence and… well, it's just a bit racier overall, really. I hope you guys enjoy, and again, I'm so sorry for being late! But, yeah… enjoy anyway :D

Chapter 8

Hours had passed, but the two finally made their way to Faron Woods. The heavy rain had finally ceased, leaving the two sopping wet as they sloshed through the puddles of mud.

Link bit his lip, glancing over at the young woman beside him. "Are you certain that you're okay with walking?" he asked, looking down at the bottom of her dress that was now caked in dirt. "I mean, I could just carry you. We'll be in Ordon soon…"

Zelda shook her head sternly. "There's no need for that, Link," she assured him, staring at the path ahead. "I'm able to walk by myself, and I don't intend to burden you with my weight."

"It's not a burden," he tried to convince her, frowning. "I just hate that you have to walk through all of this mud…"

The corners of her lips turned up slightly as she glanced over at him. He truly was a gentleman. "It's not an issue, Link," she nodded at him reassuringly. "I promise."

The young man opened his mouth to answer her, but was interrupted by a low grumbling sound in the distance. They perked their heads up, looking down the path ahead. Far ahead of them on the narrow path stood a Blue Bokoblin that was staring down the two youths. Link and Zelda quickly glanced at each other, realizing that Link didn't have his sword or shield with him. They were nearly defenseless.

The grumbling seemed to grow louder by every second, causing the two adolescents to timidly take a step backwards. The beast that stood far away from them wielded a large wooden bat as he quickly darted forward, charging straight towards the two of them. Link quickly grabbed Zelda by the arm, pulling her out of the way as the Bokoblin hurdled towards them.

They rapidly veered off of the path as the monster ran past them, trying to slow itself down. Link and Zelda looked back at the creature as it turned around, growling at the two as it prepared to charge again. Link suddenly ran smack into something, causing him to fall onto his rear, bringing Zelda down with him. She groaned in pain as Link looked up to see what he had crashed into. It was a Deku Baba. He gasped as the ugly plant opened its mouth, staring at the girl.

The young hero ducked as the Bokoblin suddenly ran over, tripping over Zelda's dress and colliding with the plant. Link grabbed onto Zelda's hand, pulling her to her feet as the creatures tried to untangle themselves. "We need to get out of here quickly," Link urged her, his sharp eyes full of alarm.

She nodded vigorously, letting go of Link's hand. Before Zelda could get away, the Bokoblin grabbed onto her dress, aggressively throwing her onto the ground. Link tried to reach for her but was quickly cut off when the plant opened its jaws wide, snapping at Link's side. He grunted as he tried to move past the Deku Baba, but it seemed to be deliberately blocking his path. Link slipped in the mud as he heard Zelda cry out. He looked over at her as she tried to back away from the Bokoblin.

The young woman desperately tried to focus all of her power to create some sort of magic attack, anything that would keep the beast away. It raised the heavy wooden bat that it was holding above its head, aiming directly at the queen as she attempted to focus on the task at hand.

Link sat up and jumped to his feet, still trying to untangle himself from the plant. His eyes went wide as the Bokoblin swung at Zelda, striking her in the side of the head. She fell unconscious as Link shouted, stomping on the stem of the plant. It shrieked in pain as he escaped its grasp, running over to the Bokoblin who was already preparing to strike Zelda again. The young man shoved the monster with all of his strength, causing it to drop its weapon. Link picked up the bat and glowered at the beast as he smacked it with all of his might. Defenseless, the creature quickly backed away from Link, shrieking as it ran in the opposite direction.

He dropped the weapon, kneeling down to Zelda and resting a hand beneath her head. "Zelda!" he shouted, biting his cheek so hard that he could taste blood. His eyes went wide with worry as he watched her for a minute, not sure if she was still breathing or not. He leaned his ear against her chest. His face flooded with relief when he heard the thumping of her heartbeat, but he still needed to know that she was okay. Link gingerly picked her up in his arms as the rain began to steadily fall once again. He walked briskly over to the path once again, not sure whether or not it was safe to run so quickly with her. Link tried his best to keep calm as he headed towards Ordon Village, holding Zelda in his arms tightly.

After what seemed to be hours, he finally arrived in the small village. He didn't know exactly where to go or who to ask for help, but he figured that, if anybody would be able to help, it would be one of the wisest people in town: Malo.

Running as quickly as his feet could possibly carry him, Link made his way over to the house of Talo and Malo. He barged through the door, still holding the queen. Talo and Malo sat at the table near the entrance, staring at Link in awe.

"W-what did you _do_?!" Talo asked, panicking at the sight of the unconscious girl.

"Honestly, Link," Malo started, crossing his arms. "I leave you alone for _one day, _and you killed the queen. You are absolutely unbelievable, sometimes…"

"She's not dead!" Link barked, glaring at the two boys. "I need your help!"

"What do you want us to do?" Talo asked, raising an eyebrow. "All that we can do is pray that Beth doesn't find out that you killed Zelda."

"I didn't kill her!" Link retorted, gritting his teeth. "Can you two just help me for once?"

"What happened to her, then?" Malo asked, glancing between Link and Zelda.

"She got clubbed in the head by a Bokoblin," Link explained, pursing his lips.

Talo and Malo both raised their eyebrows, their mouths agape. "And she's… alive?" Malo asked, gazing at the young woman.

"That's one tough girl," Talo remarked in disbelief, putting his hands on his hips. "You sure know how to pick them, Link…"

"I believe that I've misjudged her completely…" Malo admitted, crossing his arms.

Link sighed deeply, narrowing his eyes at the boys. "There's no time to waste!" he reminded them sternly, taking a few steps forward and carefully laying Zelda on the long wooden table. "Is she okay, Malo?"

The younger brother sat up in his chair, leaning over the table and examining the comatose young woman. He pushed some of her hair out of her face, scrutinizing the large purple bruise that had been left on the side of her head. He carefully poked the bruise with his chubby, stubby fingers, causing Link to flinch.

"B-be careful!" Link exclaimed nervously.

Malo rolled his eyes. "Oh, what do you know about care?" he scoffed. "You're the one who allowed this to happen in the first place."

Link lowered his gaze to the ground, frowning in guilt. He tried to help Zelda in time, but he felt as if he hadn't tried hard enough. Surely he could have prevented this, had he hurried to stop the Bokoblin before it was too late…

"It appears that she had, indeed, suffered blunt force trauma to her head. However, it won't be possible for me to assess the damage any further until she is conscious," Malo informed Link matter-of-factly.

"How can you tell that she's not just sleeping?" Talo asked, cocking his head as he gazed at Zelda.

Malo grabbed her wrist, lifting her limp arm up. "She's definitely not asleep," he replied, letting go of her arm. "However, there is a way that we can accelerate her awakening." The young boy stood up on his chair, turning the young woman onto her side. Link watched attentively as Malo positioned Zelda's limbs until one of her legs was brought up to her waist level, while her head was rested on one arm with the other outstretched. "This is the 'Recovery Position', which will ensure that Zelda is breathing, while it will also hasten her arousal."

Talo stifled a laugh, staring at the ground. "You said 'arousal'…"

The younger brother narrowed his eyes at him, shaking his head. "You earnestly are childish, aren't you?"

The door clicked open loudly, followed by a loud screech. The three boys jumped at the piercing noise, shaking the table violently. Zelda wheezed as she sat up quickly, clutching her head in her hands as she grit her teeth.

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed, standing up and leaning over to her anxiously. "Are you okay?"

"For the love of Nayru!" Beth screamed, looking as if she were about to rip her hair out. "What did you buffoons do to Zelda?!"

Link wrapped his arms around Zelda as Talo rolled his eyes at Beth. "Oh, calm down; Zelda is perfectly fine."

The queen closed her eyes, leaning her head against Link's chest. "W-where are we?" she asked, the room spinning around her.

"You… look a bit green, Zelda," Link replied, biting his cheek."

"She's exhibiting symptoms of a concussion," Malo remarked pensively.

"WHAT?!" Beth almost screamed, clenching her fists. Her eyes burned with fury as she gritted her teeth, stomping over to Link. "You… you were supposed to protect her! What kind of hero are you if you can't even do that?!"

"S-stop …" Zelda implored, shaking her head. Link frowned, gently laying Zelda's head on the table.

"Shut up, Beth!" Talo shouted, glaring at her. "It's not Link's fault. If you're so worried about Zelda, why don't you actually help us out here instead of yelling at us?"

The little girl narrowed her eyes, pursing her lips. She briskly walked over to the counter adjacent to the table and grabbed a small dishcloth sitting there. Beth turned on her heel, pacing over to kneel down beside the counter where a bucket of lukewarm water sat. She dunked the cloth into the bucket, wringing out the water as she pulled it back out. Walking back over to the table, she carefully draped the damp fabric over the faint young woman's forehead.

Zelda smiled weakly, her eyes exhausted as she tried to focus. "Thank you, Beth," she told the young girl in a soft voice.

"If you thank anyone, it should be Link," Talo informed her, glancing at Beth with an irritated expression. "He's the one who carried you here…"

"He's also the one who allowed her to get hurt in the first place!" Beth shook her head, scowling at Talo.

"Link did nothing wrong, Beth," Zelda assured her, frowning slightly. She lightly stroked Link's hand, biting her cheek. "If he hadn't been there and stopped that monster, then…" she trailed off, shaking her head lightly. "It… it was a valiant thing that he did. He fought off that creature before it could do any more damage. He hasn't done anything wrong at all…"

Talo nodded triumphantly, huffing out in exasperation. "I told you, Beth," he gloated, leaning in close to the girl's face.

She frowned remorsefully, knowing that she had acted disrespectfully to Link. Beth rubbed the back of her neck, sighing quietly as she stared at the table. "I'm sorry, Link…" she apologized, twiddling her thumbs. "I shouldn't have been so ill-mannered in assuming that this was your fault."

Link smiled sadly, lightly patting her on the shoulder. "It's okay, Beth," he tried to assure her, nodding. He knew that Beth was concerned for Zelda and that she hadn't intended to be so brash.

Malo leaned his arms onto the table, slouching forward. "You'll need to relax for quite a while to prevent any further injury, Zelda," he informed her in a monotone voice.

Link frowned, adjusting the damp cloth on her forehead. "How are you feeling?" he asked, biting his lip.

She smiled at him in an attempt to calm his nerves, though her head was aching with immense pain. Still, she couldn't bear to see him so anxious… "I'll be okay," she nodded, blinking slowly as she tried to focus her blurred vision.

Still not convinced, Link sighed, gazing at the nasty bruise on Zelda's head. "Does it hurt?" he asked, cocking his head. The young woman bit her cheek, lowering her head as she frowned. "It… it'll get better…" she responded hesitantly, not wanting to worry him.

Link sighed, furrowing his brow. "You need to rest somewhere comfortable," he advised her.

Beth sat straight up, her eyes wide. "She can stay over at my house!" she announced loudly, causing Zelda to cover her ears. "Yeah, she can use my bed! I don't even care if she has to stay the night."

Zelda gave a small smile, turning her head to look at Beth. "I truly appreciate your offer," she started slowly, still trying to adjust her focus. "However, since I am to stay the night, I don't wish to rob you of your only place to sleep…"

"So… where are you gonna sleep?" Talo chimed in, tilting his head slightly.

"Zelda can sleep with me," Link proclaimed, applying pressure to the cloth on her forehead.

The three children looked up at him, raising their eyebrows. Talo stifled a laugh as Beth shook her head at him, rolling her eyes. Link thought for a moment about what he had said, finally realizing why they were laughing. A look of realization dawned upon his face as Zelda blushed, biting her cheek.

"You guys too, huh?" he asked, staring down at the table.

"What are you talking about?" Talo asked, still giggling to himself.

The young woman sat up, knowing what Link was thinking. "While Link and I were at Hyrule Castle, there were some… rumors being spread about us…" she explained, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh," Talo nodded, thinking to himself. After a moment of thought, his eyes went wide as his jaw dropped. He glanced back and forth between Link and Zelda, grinning cheekily. "OHHHH!"

Link bit his cheek, averting the young boy's gaze. "Yeah, yeah…" he muttered, shaking his head. "Don't get so excited; the rumors aren't true."

"I don't see what the big deal is," Talo replied, leaning his head onto his hand. "I mean, it's not such a bad thing. If anything, you should be glad. It's not like it's a problem, or anything…"

Beth rolled her eyes, slouching in her chair. "It's not a problem for _Link, _doofus," she informed him. "The problem is that dating a commoner like Link could completely ruin Zelda's reputation as the Queen of Hyrule." She frowned, darting her eyes over to Link who was scowling at her. "Sorry, but it's the truth."

"Whatever," Talo scoffed, shaking his head. "I'm sure that nobody has even found out about the rumors yet…"

Suddenly, the door burst open to reveal a panting Mayor Bo. Link noticed Ilia standing beside him, biting her cheek. "Talo, Malo," he started, his face red as if he had just sprinted over to the house, "you won't believe what I just heard about Link and Zel…" He trailed off as he noticed that the two teenagers were in the room with them.

"Good evening, sir…" Zelda greeted them politely, nodding at the man and his daughter.

He nodded back, clearing his throat. "Good evening, your majesty…"

The room fell silent as Link closed his eyes, shaking his head. He banged his head on the table, groaning to himself. Malo grabbed onto Link's hair and pulled him up.

"Calm down," he advised him, pushing Link backwards to make him sit up straight. "We don't need two concussions here…"

Ilia perked her head up quickly, her eyes full of worry. She took a step forward, biting her lip. "Who has a concussion?" she asked, wringing her hands.

"Zelda," Talo answered, nodding over to the young woman who was still sitting on the table.

"Oh," Ilia replied, losing interest in the situation. "Alright, then."

"So…" Talo started, smirking and raising his eyebrows, "You guys heard about it too, huh?"

"It isn't true, is it?" Ilia chimed in, pursing her lips.

Link's cheeks flushed bright red as he buried his face into his hands. It was ridiculous, he thought, that he should have to discuss this with his childhood friend. "N-no…" he answered, his throat as dry as sand. "No, it isn't…"

Talo rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because Zelda is too ashamed to admit it…"

Zelda shook her head, frowning at Link. "I'm not ashamed, Talo..."

He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Oh, so you two DID do what everyone is saying you did?"

"No, that isn't what I meant…" she interjected quickly, sitting up tall. "I mean that… that I'm not ashamed to be with Link-"

"Whatever you say, Zelda," he interrupted her, rolling his eyes in disbelief. "I think that you and Link need a moment alone, right guys?"

The silence carried on as everyone else stared at the ground, slowly shuffling towards the door. Talo winked at Link as he left, shutting the door behind him and leaving Zelda and her Link alone once again.

The young man laughed nervously, grabbing onto her hand tightly. "I'm… sorry about them," he apologized, shaking his head.

She frowned, gazing into his eyes. "Don't listen to them, Link," she told him somberly, intertwining her fingers with his. "There is no reason for me to be ashamed for being with you. I love you, Link. Nothing in the world could ever change that, not even an entire kingdom."

He smiled, sitting up taller and leaning forward to peck her on the cheek. "I love you too, Zelda," he answered. "Don't worry about me; are you okay?"

She nodded her head slowly, taking the cloth off of her forehead and placing it beside her. "I feel much better than I did before," she assured him.

Link leaned forward quickly, locking his lips to hers. He noticed how much hotter they were than usual, but he didn't mind at all. He pulled away, much to her dismay, and grinned at her. "Good," he remarked, leaning onto the table.

Zelda grabbed onto Link's shoulders and pulled him towards her, causing him to gasp in surprise. She pressed her mouth up against his harshly, throwing her arms around his neck. He moaned quietly, running his fingers through her hair which was still dampened from the rain. She pulled his body closer to hers, smiling into the kiss.

Link craned his neck forward, leaning his elbows onto the table as he held onto her thighs.

"Link…" Zelda moaned as she gripped the collar of his shirt, pulling his lips closer to hers.

He smiled, humming to himself as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Link pulled her closer, accidentally putting his hands on her bottom in the process.

"Oh!" Zelda exclaimed in surprise, jolting up. He quickly moved his hands away, his face burning red.

"I-I didn't mean to, Zelda," he stuttered, his eyes wide open. "I'm so sorry…"

"I don't mind it," she blurted out, barely able to believe the words coming out of her mouth. She cleared her throat, staring at her lap bashfully. "You… you can do it if you want to…"

"R-really?" he asked, biting his cheek. "I mean… are you sure?"

She nodded, swallowing hard. "Sure…" she replied, pursing her lips, "if you want to, then you can…"

He awkwardly put his hands on her hindquarters, his face crimson red. She giggled, cupping his face in her hands and pulling his lips against hers. "You truly are a gentleman," she whispered, smiling as she leaned her forehead against his.

"I don't know how you can still call me a gentleman in this situation," he remarked, still holding onto her.

Zelda laughed as he gave her a small grin, giving her a long kiss on the lips. Before either of them had time to think, the young man laid her down on the table, passionately kissing her neck as she clutched onto his back. His thoughts were overrun with a feeling that he hadn't truly felt before, something from deep within his mind. His hands trailed up to her chest before he could stop them, his feelings having completely taken over.

She gasped loudly in shock at the feeling, her eyes wide. She didn't quite know what Link was doing, but the feeling invigorated her. Zelda grinned widely as she wrapped her arms around his torso, burying her face into his shoulder. "Link…"

The door flew open before either of them could bat an eyelash. Behind the door stood the group that had just left, and they were all staring directly at the two teenagers. Link looked as if he had just seen a ghost while Zelda closed her eyes, turning her head away from everyone.

Mayor Bo cleared his throat, casually throwing an arm around his daughter's shoulders. "The wind seems to have picked up a bit, huh?" he asked slowly, not knowing what to say.

"W-were you all standing just outside the door the ENTIRE time?" Link asked, his throat dry.

Ilia nodded slowly, staring at the ground. "Yeah," she replied quietly, biting her cheek. "We just wanted to give you two a bit of alone time…"

"Yeah, and look what happened!" Talo exclaimed, his eyes wide. "I knew that you and Zelda had something more going on! I mean… the evidence is right here!"

Link looked down and suddenly realized that his hands were still on her breasts. He sat straight up, taking his hands off of her and staring at his lap.

Malo shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Honestly," he spit, crossing his arms, "we left you two alone for less than 5 minutes and you're ALREADY groping each other…"

Colin poked his head into the room, glancing between the two young adults with a curious look on his face. "What's going on?" he asked obliviously, tilting his head.

Ilia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Oh, nothing. It's just that LINK, here, has been fondling the princess's-"

"That's QUEEN to you, Ilia," Beth interrupted, scowling.

"Whatever," she snapped, scowling. She stomped over to Zelda who was still lying down on the table. Ilia pointed her finger at Zelda, narrowing her eyes at her. "You… I should slap you! F-for… everything! We're allowing you to stay here so that you aren't followed by some crazy royals who want to tell everyone about your little secret, yet you continue to do these things?"

Talo rolled his eyes. "You can't hit her, she has a concussion!"

"Correction: You can't hit her in the HEAD, she has a concussion," Malo corrected him matter-of-factly.

Ilia shook her head at the boys, pointing at Zelda once again. "J-just remember… we're the ones who are keeping you safe from the public here! So… don't step out of line!" she exclaimed with a deep voice, trying to sound as powerful as she could. With that, Ilia marched off, pushing her father out of the way.

Talo bit his cheek, rubbing the back of his neck. "Boy," he started, shaking his head and looking up at the startled young queen, "she really doesn't like you, does she?"

Zelda sat up, her eyes full of alarm. "I would believe not," she answered, frowning slightly.

Link threw his arm around Zelda's shoulder protectively, tiredly leaning his head onto hers. "She'll come around," he assured her, closing his eyes halfway. "She just needs to warm up to you."

"You really don't know anything about girls, do you, Link?" Beth asked rhetorically, rolling her eyes. "You can't just expect one girl to get used to another. That isn't how it works." She shook her head, crossing her arms. "Honestly, you're not even remotely close to being boyfriend material…"

Colin timidly looked around the room, clearing his throat. "So… w-what does 'fondling' mean?"

They all turned their gazes towards Colin, not knowing exactly what to say. Link chuckled slightly. He patted the young boy on the shoulder, still holding onto Zelda. "Don't worry about it, Colin," he told him, glad that there was still some innocence left in Ordon Village. "Don't worry about it."


	9. Ilia

A/N: Okay, now that that's finally over, the schedule for this story is back on and chapters will be updated regularly! Sorry for taking so long to update this one, but it should all be okay from now on! Thanks for being patient :D

Chapter 9

Link slouched forward in his chair as Zelda rubbed her hand on his back, frowning slightly. "Aren't you feeling well?" she asked him as he sighed, laying his head on the solid table in front of him.

"What are we going to do?" he asked her, not bothering to look up at her.

She frowned as she gazed out the window at the slowly rising sun. Zelda was beloved by the entire kingdom; she was accepted as a leader by seemingly all of her subjects. Any news that concerned Zelda would always spread as if it were a wildfire. There was no doubting that the rumors about her and Link would soon be known to all throughout the land.

The young woman knew with every fiber of her being that she loved the young man who had singlehandedly rescued her kingdom. Zelda was willing to do anything for Link, without hesitation. It left her dumbfounded as to why she was so bothered by the thought that all of her people would know about her relationship with him.

Zelda bit her cheek pensively. She exhaled deeply, resting a hand on her lap. "Perhaps… perhaps we should go back," she replied quietly.

Link perked his head up quickly, raising an eyebrow at her. "But…" he started, shaking his head, "b-but we're supposed to stay here…"

"Nothing will stop them from swarming around us when they first recognize us," Zelda shook her head, staring at her lap. "Waiting for things to die down won't do us any good. If we don't face the crowd, they will come searching for us. Trust me on this."

The young man bit his lip, gazing over at her. Of course he trusted Zelda. If anyone knew about the people of Hyrule, it was her. Perhaps she was right…

"W-what are we supposed to tell them?" he stuttered, still wary about the idea of returning to Hyrule Castle.

Zelda met Link's gaze, her eyes full of sorrow. "Link…" she started, resting her hand on his thigh, "I… I cannot lie to my people. I have not done so in my 17 years of existence, and I will not ever do so. We… do not have much of a choice."

Link sighed, knowing that Zelda would never betray her kingdom. There was nothing that he could ever do that would make her change her mind. He gave her a small smile, hoping to comfort her. "We'll be okay, Zelda," he tried to assure her. He gripped onto her hand, nodding. "A-and no matter what happens, we're going to stay together, right?"

She smiled slightly, resting a hand on his cheek. "I love you, Link…" she told him, not taking her eyes off of him. "I would never allow for anything, or anyone, to dissever us."

Zelda gazed into Link's eyes for what seemed to be hours. She had a certain expression on her face that he couldn't quite place. There was something about her eyes that made him feel warm all over, something that comforted him and gave him the feeling that everything would be okay.

Link leaned forward, closing his eyes and resting a hand on her shoulder as he pressed his lips against hers. He didn't care what the others thought about his relationship with Zelda. He truly did love her, and he was going to take care of her, just as he had promised Impa.

He caressed her soft cheek with his fingertips, wishing that things could be simpler for the two of them. After all that they had been through in the past few weeks, they deserved just as much. Link pulled his lips away from her slightly, resting his forehead against hers. "I love you more than anything in the world, Zelda," he said to her, closing his eyes. "I won't ever let anything happen to you; remember that."

She smiled sadly at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't worry about me, Link," she told him, closing her eyes. "I'll be okay."

He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "You just… Zelda, you need a break from all of this," he replied to her, frustrated. "You deserve so much more than this. You always act as if you're hanging by a thread and one slip-up could ruin your entire kingdom. You deserve to relax for once…"

Zelda opened her eyes, frowning slightly. The time that she had been spending with Link for the past few days was the best time that she had ever experienced. Although she wished that it could last forever, she and Link both knew very well that she had duties to fulfill as the Queen of Hyrule. She couldn't let her feelings get in the way of her responsibilities, no matter how much she wished to stay there with Link and spend her days with him.

"You know that I can't do that, Link…" she replied, pulling away and locking her eyes onto his.

The young man shook his head, his blue eyes sharper than before. "You can do whatever you want to, Zelda," he told her, holding onto her shoulders. "You're the Queen of Hyrule; you should be treated like it…"

She closed her eyes, turning away from him. If only he knew, she thought, how much it grieved her... "Link…" she sighed, shutting her eyes tightly as she tried not to let herself break. "My responsibilities as the monarch of Hyrule outweigh my own desires. As much as I wish that I could stay, I simply…" She paused for a moment, shaking her head. "I-I have no choice."

"Please don't say that, Zelda," he nearly implored, shaking his head. "You just need some time to rest for a while. Just… please just stay with me for a bit longer."

Zelda opened her teary eyes as she swallowed hard, not able to stand seeing Link so upset. She held onto his hand tightly, biting her cheek.

Link was no fool. Before he had met Zelda, he had never even known what she looked like. It was rare that she had any time to leave her castle and speak to anyone personally. If she went back to work, it was unlikely that Link would ever have the opportunity to see her.

"Please stay," he begged her, his eyes full of sorrow.

Zelda sighed, hanging her head and staring at her lap. "Perhaps I could convince Impa to allow me to stay with you for a bit longer…" she replied quietly, biting her lip.

He beamed at her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him. She smiled slightly, resting her chin on his shoulder as she held onto him. Zelda paused for a moment, thinking to herself. "We still need to tell them about you and me, Link. They'll come looking for us if we don't; I can guarantee it."

Link bit his lip, nodding. "Okay…" he agreed, trusting that Zelda had thought this through. He let go of her and slowly pulled away, smiling at her. "Should we get going?" he asked politely, cocking his head.

The young woman bit her cheek, twiddling her thumbs. She stared at the door pensively. "Actually, Link…" she started slowly, "I think that you should make amends with Ilia."

Link raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't thought much about Ilia recently, to be honest. His stomach turned as he slouched back in his chair, haunted by his own guilt. "Why do you say that?" Link asked in a low voice, staring at the wall in front of him.

"You and Ilia are best friends," Zelda started, sitting up in her chair, "and she obviously hasn't been acting as you say she usually does. Perhaps if you speak to her alone, she'll calm down a bit."

He sat up straight, considering Zelda's idea. He hadn't spoken to Ilia alone in what seemed to be months. Maybe she would feel better if they finally had some alone time…

Link nodded curtly, quickly standing up to his feet. "I'll go find her," he stated to Zelda, running his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "You wait here; I won't be too long."

She smiled at him, glad that he was willing to follow through with her idea. "I'll be here when you return," she replied, leaning her head on her hand.

With that, he bolted out of the door, not bothering to close it behind himself. As quick as he possibly could, Link dashed towards Ilia's house without a second thought. He came to a stop to knock on the door, tapping his foot impatiently. After a few moments, Mayor Bo opened the door curiously, instantly lighting up when he saw Link.

"How are you doing, my boy?" he asked, beaming at him.

"Do you know where Ilia is?" he asked hurriedly, panting.

The man nodded as he leaned on the doorway. "She's in her room, actually. Last I heard she was swearing up a storm over our dear Queen Zelda," he explained, the smile fading from his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, biting his cheek. "Eh… I'm not so sure that you'd like to see her at this time…"

"It's urgent," Link tried to convince him, standing up taller. "I need to talk to her."

Mayor Bo cocked his head slightly, thinking. "Well… I suppose you can. You may not want to mention Zelda, though…" he advised him, staring at the ground.

"Thanks!" Link exclaimed, ignoring the mayor as he ran past him towards Ilia's room. He didn't know exactly what he was supposed to say to her, but he knew that Zelda was right. It was his job to make sure that Ilia was okay. After all, he and Ilia had been best friends for as long as he could remember.

Link cleared his throat, loudly rapping on her door.

"What is it?" he heard her groan from inside the bedroom.

"It's me," Link proclaimed loudly so that she could hear him.

There was a long silence as he stood outside of the door, patiently waiting for her to say something. He heard her footsteps as she slowly approached the door. He took a step backwards, suddenly losing his nerve.

Ilia grabbed onto the handle of the door, slowly twisting it open. She instantly locked eyes with Link. "What are you doing here?" she asked quietly, biting her lip.

He pursed his lips, trying to think of what he was supposed to say to her at this moment. He pensively closed his eyes, exhaling through his nose. "I'm sorry, Ilia," he apologized, shaking his head.

She leaned onto the door, slightly confused. "What are you sorry for?" she asked him.

"I'm sorry for… for being a bad friend," he frowned, opening his eyes again. Before she could respond, he interrupted her. "I know that you've been having a rough time ever since you lost your memory, and I shouldn't have been so rude to you. Ever since I came home, we've barely been able to talk to each other, and I don't want you to think that we aren't friends anymore."

"Oh…" Ilia said softly, averting his gaze. "It's not your fault, Link. You just don't have much time to do anything anymore…"

He raised an eyebrow at her, tilting his head. "What do you mean?" he asked, taking a step forward.

"Well… ever since Zelda came along, she's just been dragging you all around Hyrule without warning. If she weren't with you all the time, then… maybe you could finally relax and come back to Ordon for good," she told him.

He thought about her words for a moment, biting his cheek. "It's not like that, Ilia," he tried to explain to her, frowning. "I like being with Zelda. You would like her, too, if you gave her a chance."

"But you don't just _like_ her, do you, Link?" she asked sadly, closing her eyes as she leaned her head against the doorframe.

"I…" he mumbled, not knowing what he should say. He didn't want Ilia to think that he didn't care about her, anymore, because he did. She was the best friend that he had ever had, and he didn't want that to change.

"Just tell me the truth, Link," she shook her head, though she was certain that she already knew the answer.

The young man sighed, crossing his arms. "I love her, Ilia," he finally admitted, his throat as dry as sand.

Ilia looked as if she had just been punched in the stomach. She crossed her arms, pursing her lips as her eyes filled with tears. Link didn't quite know what Ilia was feeling at that moment, but he knew that his words had hurt her. A tear ran down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away as she swallowed hard, averting Link's gaze.

"I had a feeling that you would say that…" she choked out, staring at her feet.

Link frowned, feeling guilty. "Don't cry, Ilia," he sighed, unsure of what to do.

She threw her arms around his neck, just as Zelda often did, and pulled him closer to her. Ilia buried her face into his shoulder, trying to hide her tears from him.

He bit his cheek, feeling sorry for her. He lightly patted her on the back as she quietly sobbed into his shoulder.

"It's okay, Ilia…" he tried to comfort her, shaking his head lightly.

She lifted her head up, wiping the tears off of her face once again. She rested her head against his chest, sighing quietly. "I love you, Link."

The young man's eyes went wide as he tried to comprehend the sentence that she had just spoken. It was a familiar phrase to him now, but he had before only heard it from Zelda. Only… he was definitely not speaking with Zelda.

"Oh…" was all that he could say as he stared blankly at the wall. "O-okay, then..."

Ilia narrowed her eyes as she let go of him, pulling away and taking a step backwards. "That's… that's all that you have to say to me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.

"Um… th-thanks, Ilia," he stuttered, biting his lip.

She sighed, shaking her head. "You don't even care…"

"No, I… I didn't mean that-" he objected, taking a step forward.

"I'm not stupid, Link!" she snapped, crossing her arms and turning away from him. "You don't love me. You love _Zelda_."

Link tried to speak up, but was quickly interrupted.

"Tell me, Link: Why, exactly, _do you _love Zelda?" she asked, scowling at him. "I mean, she surrendered her throne because she was too afraid of fighting for herself!"

"She surrendered to protect everyone else!" he retorted matter-of-factly.

Ilia snorted, waving her hand dismissively. "Yeah, and then she got herself locked up in a tower while everyone else down here was suffering."

"She didn't have any choice!" Link glared at her, clenching his fists.

Ilia glared daggers at Link, taking a step towards him as she clenched her fists.

He sighed, aggravated, and rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. "You know, if you would just give her a chance for once, maybe you wou-" he tried to explain, but was cut off when Ilia put her hands on his face. She pulled him closer to her and pushed her lips up against his.

Link's eyes went wide again as he uncrossed his arms, shoving her away from him. "Wh-what are you doing?!" he asked, dumbfounded.

She glared at him again, gritting her teeth. She balled her hands into fists, pulling her arm back and thrusting her fist forward, pummeling Link in the cheek.

He stumbled backwards into the hallway, backing up into the wall. He put a hand on his cheek as Ilia slammed the door, muttering to herself.

"What the…" Link managed to spit out as he rubbed his sore cheek, shaking his head. He stood there in silence for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned Zelda to Ilia.

Link stumbled away from her room, making his way towards the front door.

Mayor Bo stood by the door, biting his cheek. "You aren't looking so good, my boy…" he pointed out, eyeing Link's sore.

Link sighed, walking past the man and opening the door. He slouched forward as he made his way back to Talo and Malo's house. The sun had almost fully risen when he had arrived, his hand still on his cheek. He twisted the handle, harshly opening the door.

Zelda sat at the table across from Talo and Malo. She turned her head to see Link, gasping and throwing her hands over her mouth when she saw him. She stood up, hurrying over to Link and pulling his hand away from his face to examine him. "What happened?" she asked worriedly, her eyes wide.

"It didn't go as well as I'd planned…" he frowned, staring at his feet. "Don't worry about it, Zelda."

"You look horrible," Malo pointed out shamelessly, leaning on the table.

Link narrowed his eyes, frowning. "Gee, thanks a lot," he told him sarcastically, crossing his arms.

Talo shrugged his shoulders, leaning back in his chair. "It's true…" he explained.

"I'm so sorry, Link…" Zelda apologized, frowning as she gazed into his eyes. She turned her gaze towards the floor, ashamed. "I didn't think that Ilia would act as she has been acting if I weren't with you. It was a bad idea…"

He shook his head, staring at the ground. "It's not your fault, Zelda…" he explained. "Things weren't going so badly at first…"

Talo and Malo looked at each other curiously, wondering what Link could have possibly done to make things turn out this way.

Zelda cocked her head, holding her hands together. "What happened?" she asked.

"I…" Link hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know if it was a good idea to bring up the reason why Ilia snapped at him… not that things could get much worse. "I… mentioned you, Zelda…"

"So it _is _her fault?" Talo chimed in.

Link's eyes went wide again as Zelda frowned, staring at the ground. "N-no, that's not what I'm sayi-"

"Indirectly, of course," Malo interrupted, sitting up straight. "If Ilia had liked Zelda beforehand, of course, mentioning Zelda wouldn't have been an issue. Therefore, indirectly, it's Zelda's fault."

The young woman pursed her lips, wringing her hands. "I'm so sorry, Link…" she apologized once more.

"It's not your fault, Zelda," he assured her, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling her close to him. He glared at Talo and Malo over her shoulder, shaking his head.

She held onto him, resting her head on his chest. "We need to leave before they come looking for us, Link…" Zelda advised him, a worried tone in her voice. "Impa can only distract them for so long…"

"Where are you going now?" Talo asked, annoyed. He crossed his arms. "It's like you two can't stay in the same place for more than a few hours…"

The young man frowned, letting go of Zelda and folding his arms. "We have to go back to Hyrule Castle for a little while," he explained to the two boys.

"Right now?" Talo asked, standing up.

Zelda nodded curtly. "We don't have much time…" she told him.

Talo ran up to the two teenagers, wrapping his arms around them. Zelda smiled warmly, kneeling down to hug the young boy as Link patted him on the back.

"Let everyone else know where Link and I have run off to," Zelda told Talo, letting go of him and standing up tall.

Talo grinned, nodding at her. "Okay," he replied, crossing his arms. "Malo and me-"

"Malo and _I_," Malo corrected his brother matter-of-factly.

Talo turned towards his brother, glaring at him. "I should hurt you," he growled.

"We'll see you two later," Link told them, waving goodbye to them. He grabbed onto Zelda's hand, leading her out of the house.

Zelda smiled slightly at Link as he led her towards his house where Epona was waiting for them.


	10. The Kiss

A/N: YESSSS! I'm finally back! I know that I said that I can post regularly from now on. And now I look like an even bigger douche than Groose because I haven't updated in forever, but now I'm back. Oh, and my laptop crashed and burned, so I'm on my iPod. Hopefully I'll get a new computer soon, but until then... bear with me, guys. I'm so happy that I can post this because I've been having so many issues lately, and... I guess I finally caught a break. ANYWAY, make sure you rate and review if you have time, and I hope you all enjoy :D

Chapter 10

Zelda held onto Link's waist tightly as they rode on Epona towards the entrance to Castle Town. He pulled on the reins, slowing the horse down as they eventually came to a complete stop. Link stroked Epona's mane as Zelda gracefully leaped off of the horse and into the tall grass. Link followed closely behind the young woman as she exhaled through her nose, nodding curtly.

The two slowly made their way towards the main gate, trying to calm themselves. Zelda placed a hand on the tall gate, sighing as she gently pushed it open.

When the two adolescents were immediately recognized by the citizens of Castle Town, the crowd was in full pandemonium. Zelda quickly grabbed onto the boy's hand as the people swarmed around them, as if they were a pack of wolves surrounding their prey. The young queen smiled nervously, waving to the eager crowd as she tugged on Link's arm, leading him towards the castle. The young man tried his best to ignore the citizens, wondering how Zelda could possibly handle this on a daily basis.

Finally, the two had made their way through the crowd and gate, leading them towards the enormous castle. Zelda noticed Impa standing near the doorway of the castle and smiled widely, letting go of Link's hand and running towards her.

"It's so good to see you..." Zelda smiled sadly, embracing the woman. She let go after a moment, relieved to see a familiar face.

Impa frowned, sensing that something was bothering the young lady. "Did things not go well in Ordon?" she asked, cocking her head as she rested a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Link and Zelda glanced at each other, wondering if they would be better off not telling Impa all of the details.

"Not exactly..." Link replied, clearing his throat quietly.

Impa took her hand off of Zelda's shoulder, frowning. "I had the feeling that you two would be back soon..." she remarked. "The news about you two has spread like wildfire..."

The older woman paused pushing a piece of hair out of Zelda's face. She gasped when she saw the nasty bruise, covering her mouth with one of her hands. "What happened to you?!" she exclaimed, her eyes full of panic. Before Zelda could explain, Impa marched over to Link, glaring daggers at him. "You... what did you do to her?!" she snapped, clenching her fists as she leaned her face in close to his.

"Impa, please..." Zelda cried, taking a step forward.

The woman ignored her, scowling at Link. "I told you to protect her! You promised me that you would! You were supposed to take care of her!"

Link frowned, ashamed. He stared at his feet, pursing his lips' "I promise that I didn't hurt her..." he told her, shaking his head.

"Impa, it's not his fault!" Zelda defended him, stepping forward. She grabbed onto his hand, interlocking her fingers with his. "If it weren't for Link, I would have been killed!"

He grimaced at Zelda's words, not wanting to think about what she was saying. He didn't think that he would ever be able to live with himself, had he been too late to save her...

Impa grit her teeth at the boy, crossing her arms. "That's not the point, Zelda," she remarked, shaking her head. "It was his responsibility to protect you, and he failed."

"But he would have, had he some way to protect himself!" Zelda retorted. "And why should he burdened with the responsibility of protecting me, any way?"

Impa raised an eyebrow. "He's your boyfriend, isn't he?" she asked, tilting her head.

The young woman pursed her lips, blushing slightly. She nodded slowly, a small smile creeping onto her lips. The thought of Link being her boyfriend warmed Zelda, giving her butterflies in her stomach. "Yes," she answered, "of course he is..."

"And as Zelda's boyfriend you wish to protect her, correct?" the older woman asked Link.

He smiled warmly, gazing down at his hand which was still interlocked with Zelda's. "Of course I do..." he replied without hesitation. "I... I would do anything for her."

Impa nodded curtly, glancing between the two teenagers. She sighed, lowering her gaze. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so harsh to them. "I trust you boy," she told Link truthfully, locking eyes with him. "I know that you truly do care for Zelda. I'm imploring you... you must take care of her."

He nodded, us eyes drooping slightly. "I promise..." he replied, nodding slowly.

"You both look exhausted," Impa frowned, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Haven't either of you gotten any sleep at all? And what happened to your cheek, Link?"

Link frowned, putting his fingers against the bruise on his cheek that Ilia had left. "It's a... long story, Impa."

The woman bit her cheek. "You two should head upstairs and get some rest," she advised them, opening the castle door.

"Where are the guards?" Zelda asked, noticing the absence of the two guards who usually opened the door.

"With the recent news about you and Link being leaked to the public, I have ordered the guards to patrol the outer perimeter of the castle to be certain that nobody... sneaks in," Impa explained.

"I understand..." Zelda frowned, nodding slightly.

Impa cleared her throat quietly, nodding. "Why don't you two go rest for a while? There's no rush for anything..."

They all nodded as Zelda let go of Link's hand. She lead Link through the foyer of the castle and towards one of the several staircases. "Would you mind if we shared a bed?" she asked, looking back at him and smiling as they walked upstairs.

He smiled back at her. "I don't see why not..." he remarked as they reached the top of the staircase. She led him down one of the narrow hallways and up a few more sets of stairs before finally arriving at a large door.

Zelda nodded as she pushed the door open, motioning for Link to come in. He followed her into the room, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he looked around. He recognized the room as the one they had sat in just days before, on the night of Zelda's coronation.

Link sighed in relief, finally realizing how exhausted he was. He walked over to her enormous bed, exhaling through his nose as he fell backwards onto the soft surface.

"You aren't going to take your shoes off first?" Zelda asked, giggling. He mumbled something as he rolled onto his stomach, burying his face into one of the plush pillows.

She smiled slightly, kicking off her shoes and walking over to the opposite side of the bed. She sat down, yawning loudly as she lied down. She glanced over at Link, who was as still as a statue. "Are you still awake?" she asked, her eyes halfway closed.

Link nodded slowly, lifting his head to look at her. He crawled over to her, throwing an arm around her waist and pecking her on the cheek.

Zelda smiled warmly, closing her eyes. She moaned as he pulled her close, his lips forming into a grin as he kissed her neck.

"I thought that you were tired," she remarked, opening her eyes and smirking at him.

"I am..." he replied, placing his hands on her lower back.

She smiled, cradling his face in her hands and pecking him on the lips.

Link suddenly remembered the events that had taken place early that morning. His stomach churned as he realized that he had never told Zelda everything that had happened.

"Are you feeling alright, Link?" she asked, frowning. "You seem very pale..."

He sat straight up, holding onto his stomach as he began to feel nauseated. He couldn't tell her about the kiss... there was no way that he could tell her!

"Link?" she asked, sitting up as she frowned worriedly and resting her hand on his back. "What's wrong?"

Perhaps she wouldn't react so badly. After all, it was Ilia who had kissed Link, not the other way around. It wasn't his fault; he didn't even kiss her back!

"Please tell me what's wrong..." Zelda implored, resting a hand on his leg.

Link shook his head, staring at his lap. She would be absolutely livid if she knew what had happened. Only... he couldn't keep it from her forever. She was going to find out eventually, and he couldn't lie to her...

Zelda bit her lip, leaning her head onto his shoulder. "I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wro-"

"Ilia and I kissed," Link blurted out before he could stop himself.

Her hand froze at his words. She slowly sat up straight, taking her hand off of his thigh. "You... y-you kissed?" she asked, staring at him with an unreadable expression.

He nodded. There was no going back now... "Yeah," he confirmed, sitting up tall. He paused as Zelda closed her eyes, pursing her lips. "A-are you upset?"

She lied down on the bed, turning her back to him. "Let's just... get some sleep. We can talk later, and I'm just so tired..." she explained to him hurriedly, shaking her head.

"Oh..." Link replied, surprised that she had taken the news so lightly. He cleared his throat, lying down on his back. "Okay, then..."

He rested his head on one of the fluffy pillows, glad to think that he had done the right thing. He closed his eyes as Zelda covered her mouth with her hands, shutting her eyes tightly. She swallowed hard as Link rolled onto his stomach, drifting off.

The young woman stood up, clenching her fists at her sides as she made her way towards the door, a lump caught in her throat. Link stirred as he heard the door clock shut. He looked to his side, only to find that she was gone.

"Zelda?" he called out to the empty room, his voice echoing slightly in the silence. After a moment of silence he stood up, hurrying over to the door and opening it. "Zelda!?" he shouted, glancing around the empty hallway.

Link ran down the corridor as quickly as he could, trying his best to remember which way he and Zelda had come from. Everything seemed to look the same... He turned around the sharp corner at full speed, only to run smack into Impa.

The two both fell down with a loud thud, groaning as they held onto their heads in pain. The young man clenched his fists at his sides in an attempt to ignore his pain, standing up. He lent Impa a hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Have you seen Zelda?" he asked worriedly as his head throbbed.

Impa nodded curtly. "I saw her not 10 seconds ago. She told me that she wanted some privacy, but she seemed... very upset, to say the least," she explained, crossing her arms. Impa cleared her throat. "I was on my way to find you to see if you knew what the problem was..."

The young man stared at his feet, averting her gaze. "She seemed... okay before she left..." he murmured, frowning as he crossed his arms.

Impa raised an eyebrow, gritting her teeth. "Link..." she started, her tone full of frustration, "what did you do?"

"I..." he started, trying his best to prepare himself for the backlash that he was anticipating. "I told Zelda that my friend Ilia and I kissed."

Impa glared daggers at the boy, clenching her fists at her sides. "You did WHAT?!" she nearly screamed, furious.

"I wasn't the one who-" he tried to defend himself.

"Listen, kid!" she barked, pointing her finger at him accusingly. "As Zelda's guardian, my sole job is to protect her. As her boyfriend, it is YOUR job to keep her happy and to be faithful to her! In case you can't get it through your thick skull, I guess I'll let you know that kissing other girls is NOT either of those things!"

"B-but I didn't-" Link stuttered, trying desperately to explain things to her.

Impa put a hand up, silencing him. She grit her teeth, shaking her head. "She... she's never acted this way towards anyone else. She loves you far more than she's ever loved anyone else, and I love her as if she were my own daughter. I won't stand idly by and allow you to... to break her heart like this."

Link was silent for a moment as he bit his lip, staring at his feet in guilt. "I... I didn't... I wasn't the one who started it..."

Impa lowered her guard for a moment, exhaling through her nose. "I know that she loves you, Link. I don't care if you were the one who kissed the girl or not; if you want to keep Zelda, then you need to go apologize to her right now."

He nodded slowly, understanding what Impa meant. He had to make things right and tell Zelda exactly what had happened between him and Ilia. Link nodded one again, curtly. "Did you see where she went?"

"I saw her heading towards the spiral staircase. It leads to the highest floor... she must really want to get away from you..." she explained, nodding over to the staircase at the end of the hallway.

"I'll go find her," he told her, nodding as he turned on his heel. Before Impa could say anything, he sprinted off towards the staircase.

Link stopped himself when he reached the first step. Looking up, he realized just how many stairs there were to climb. There were far too many to count. He cursed under his breath, realizing that he could have caught up to Zelda if he hasn't stopped to talk to Impa.

He shook it off, beginning to climb the stairs. Of course, if he hadn't stopped to talk to Impa, he wouldn't have known which way Zelda went in the first place. But he couldn't have-

"GAH!" Link shouted, tripping over one of the steps and falling forward onto the solid surface of the stone staircase. He groaned for a minute, shaking his pain away and standing up. He pressed on, regaining his train of thought.

How could Zelda have possibly gotten up the entire spiral staircase so quickly? In sandals, no less. She must have used magic. It seems that the royal family uses magic for everything. Wait, but... Zelda was the only living member of the Royal Family of Hyrule, wasn't she? Impa did say something about Zelda being the only heir to the throne, didn't she?

Link frowned, feeling sorry for the girl. It must have been so lonely for her up in the castle all day. If her parents had passed away a few years ago and she never had any siblings, then... besides Impa, who did Zelda even talk to? What had she even been doing for the past few years? Oh, right. She had been working relentlessly ever since the king and queen had died.

Link was shaken from his thoughts once again when he realized that he had reached the top of the stairs. He gazed around the narrow corridor, unsure of where to go. He noticed a rather elegant-looking silver door at the end of the hallway and ran over as quickly as he could, hurriedly opening it. On the other side was a large, beautiful white balcony, but it was empty. Just as he was about to head back inside he thought that he'd heard something. Link looked over his shoulder and noticed another balcony a bit off in the distance. Zelda stood at the edge, peering off into the distance as she clasped her hands together.

The young man quickly ran back inside, dashing down the hallway as he tried to figure out which door would lead him to the balcony that Zelda was on. If the door that took him to the other balcony was silver, perhaps the one he was looking for was similar...

He perked his head up when he noticed another silver door to his side. Link stopped himself quickly, silently grabbing onto the handle and twisting the door open. Sure enough, Zelda stood at the edge of the balcony before him, gazing down at the floor.

Link slowly approached the young woman, worried that he might startle her. He paused for a moment, sure that he had heard something. It was a bit high-pitched, melancholy... was somebody crying?

He took another step forward, only to realize that the sound was coming from directly in front of him. But the only person there was Zelda... Was Zelda... crying?

The girl buried her face into her hands, her cheat heaving as she leaned her elbows onto the railing of the balcony. Zelda was crying. No, Zelda was sobbing.

Link frowned, taking another step forward. He couldn't stand to see her so distraught... "Z-Zelda?" he said quietly, crossing his arms.

She stopped abruptly, pulling her hands away from her face, dampened with tears. Her hands shook as she wiped her eyes in an attempt to erase her tears, but to little avail. She knew who it was already, just by the sound of his voice.

"Zelda, are you okay?" he asked, biting his lip as he approached her slowly.

Her lip quivered as she rested her hands on the guardrail. She wasn't going to lie to him and tell him that she was okay, because she wasn't. Nothing was okay, and nothing had been okay in years. She was never okay.

"Please talk to me..." he begged her, reaching for her hand. She pulled it away hastily, wiping her tears that continued to roll down her cheeks.

"What do you want?" she managed to choke out, turning away from him. She stepped away, refusing to look at him.

"Zelda, I'm so sorry..." he apologized, grabbing onto her hand.

The young woman pulled away from him again, turning to face him with a red face. "If you're so sorry, then why would you do it in the first place?!" she snapped, stepping away from him.

"I didn't kiss her, Zelda," he tried to explain, stepping forward.

"Yes, you did!" she retorted, her voice cracking in frustration. "You told me not 10 minutes ago!"

He shook his head, frowning. " I-I meant that... that Ilia kissed ME!" he tried to convince her. "I didn't kiss her back, I promise!"

Zelda paused, gritting her teeth. How was she to know what really happened between the Link and Ilia? "Why should I believe you?" she shook her head coldly, glaring into his eyes.

"Because I love you, that's why!" he nearly shouted, frustrated that she didn't believe him. "I love you and you're my girlfriend and... and I wouldn't lie to you, and you know that!"

The girl lowered her gaze, her eyes tearing up again. She frowned, shaking her head. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Link..." she croaked, exhaling as she wiped her eyes. "You're right... I shouldn't have..."

The young man wrapped his arms around her waist as she practically fell onto him. He shushed her as she began to weep into his shoulder, her hands shaking as she clutched onto his shirt.

"I love you, Link..." she told him, her voice wavering.

"I love you, too," he replied, his voice full of warmth.

The two adolescents held onto each other as the sun beamed down on them. The clouds began to roll closer and closer to the castle, the sky darkening. Link pulled away from Zelda, giving her a long kiss on the lips.

"Let's go back inside," he told her, holding onto her hand.

She nodded, exhaling through her nose as they walked back towards the door. Link smiled slightly, glad to have her back.


	11. Rumors

A/N: I'm so happy that I have this chapter done in time! I'm always so happy when I get reviews from you all, it just makes my day :D (Hint hint: If you have the time, please tell me what you think of the story so far!) Oh, and I'm really sorry when I forget to fix a few errors when I post a chapter. Typing on my iPod, for some reason, makes me prone to make even more errors than I usually would, and very rarely do I catch them all -.- Please review if you get the chance, and thankssomuch for reading! :D

Chapter 11

The tears glistened off of Zelda's complexion as she rested her head on Link's chest. She had practically cried herself to sleep after her guilty conscious consumed her thoughts.

Link softly drummed his fingers on her hand, gazing down at the young woman. He was glad that she had finally dozed off. Perhaps a bit of rest would ease her mind...

He frowned slightly, using his thumb to gently wipe the remaining tears off of her cheeks. His eyelids began to droop as he stirred a bit, trying not to disturb Zelda. Link propped his head up on one of the pillows, holding onto the girl's hand as she readjusted herself.

The girl hummed contentedly, pulling herself closer to him. "Link..." she murmured almost inaudibly, her eyes still closed.

He perked his head up slightly, staring at her. "Zelda?" he whispered, having thought that she'd been sleeping. He waited silently for a response, but there was no sound.

Link smiled slightly. Was she dreaming about him? She must have been, since she obviously wasn't awake.

The young man leaned forward slightly, craning his neck and pecking her on the cheek. She smiled warmly, her dark hair sprawling out on his chest as she turned her head slightly. Zelda exhaled through her nose, biting her lip.

"I love you..." Link told her, even though she couldn't hear him. He weaved his fingers through through her hair, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back onto the pillows, exhausted.

Just as he had finally dozed off, the door clicked open quietly. Impa poked her head around the corner, gazing at the two teenagers who seemed so peaceful. She took a step into the room quietly, feeling guilty as she noticed how comfortable Zelda seemed, resting her head on Link's chest.

Impa sighed, clearing her throat. Link awoke with a start, sitting straight up and causing Zelda to fall down onto the bed. She cried out in surprise, startled by the rude awakening.

"I'm very sorry for the intrusion," Impa started, crossing her arms, "but I have some very important news."

The young woman sat straight up attentively, causing Link to jump once more. "Yes, Impa?" Zelda asked in a stern voice, worried that something bad had happened. "Is there something wrong?"

The older woman shook her head. "No, Your Majesty. I have arranged a town meeting, which will be attended by you and the boy."

"Wait, what?" Link chimed in, hoping that he had heard Impa wrong.

"Why are you treating this conference as such a formal affair?" Zelda asked, puzzled. Her visitations to towns outside of the castle usually weren't so formal...

"And why am I included in this?" he asked, sitting up taller.

Impa paused for a moment in thought. "Well... since you are both planning on confirming the rumors about your relationship, I believe that it would be better to do now rather than later. Not to mention the fact that several of the citizens have requested a public meeting," she explained.

"But... w-why can't you confirm it? " Link stammered, obviously unenthusiastic about the idea.

"I figured that you two could answer a few more questions from the locals to ease their minds a bit. Also... several are enthusiastic about getting to know you better, boy," Impa grinned at him, putting her hands on her hips.

Zelda smiled slightly. "How many of them are there?"

"Oh, several, I can assure you," she laughed. "He's quite popular actually. Especially with the... female population of Castle Town."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" he asked, his cheeks beginning to burn.

"Well... I suppose that several of the females have taken a real liking to you..." she told him casually, grinning. "Especially the girls your age..."

Zelda giggled as Link's entire face burned crimson red. "It's not his fault, Impa," she replied, still laughing. She held onto his chin lightly, looking him up and down. "It's not his fault that he was born handsome. Of course the girls have all taken a liking to him!"

Impa and Zelda both giggled uncontrollably as Link pulled away, burying his face into the pillow.

"Aren't you supposed to be taking this seriously?" he muttered, shaking his head.

"Oh, I can assure you that I'm dead serious, boy," Impa informed him, grinning cheekily.

"We can't control how good-looking you are, I'm afraid," Zelda told Link, cracking a smile. "I suppose you'll just have to break the hearts of all of those poor girls when you tell them about you and I..."

"Or I can leave you and the fan girls and disappear into the forest," he retorted, obviously unhappy.

"Right," she grinned as he sat up. Zelda leaned over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Being handsome isn't something to be ashamed of, you know."

"Zelda's right, boy," the woman told Link matter-of-factly. "Not everyone is gifted with such good looks. Well, except the Royal Family, of course. It seems to be hereditary for them, really..."

"But I'm not handso-" he interjected, only to stop himself short when he noticed Impa narrowing her eyes at him. "What?"

"Don't undermine yourself, boy," she advised him, shaking her head slightly. "A bright young man like you shouldn't think such bad thoughts about himself. Give yourself some credit."

Zelda nodded in agreement, resting a hand on his leg. "You're so kind, Link. You've sacrificed so much in the past few months, and not once did you ask for anything in return. You're courage and dedication extend far past your self-confidence, which is unfair, in my opinion. You really should thank yourself every once in a while..."

Link frowned, staring at Zelda's hand. "Shouldn't we be getting ready for the meeting?" he asked, obviously trying to change the topic.

"I suppose you're right," Impa nodded, clearing her throat. "The ceremony will start in a couple of hours. Do either of you have any questions?"

"Can I have my clothes back?" Link asked, frowning down at his overly-formal clothes.

She nodded. "Your equipment and armor are all being stored in a wardrobe downstairs. Since there is no dress code, you may wear them to the conference."

"Good," he nodded, pursing his lips slightly. "Let's... get ready, then..." Link nearly leapt off of the bed, heading towards the door. Before either of the girls could stop him, he had already gotten out of the door and headed towards the staircase.

Zelda frowned, running her fingers across the silky surface of the blankets beside her. "I hadn't meant to hurt his feelings..." she sighed, staring at her hand. "I... I wish that he would stop acting as if he's done nothing for the kingdom."

Impa frowned sympathetically, resting a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "He's a very humble young man, Zelda," she told her in a gentle voice. "You should be glad that his ego doesn't weigh him down; he's much different from many of the other young men who I've met throughout my life. You're lucky to have him, just as he is lucky to have you."

The young woman smiled warmly, closing her eyes as she sighed contentedly. She fell back onto the bed, lost in her own thoughts.

Link was far different from anyone she had ever met, let alone those of her own age group. He was so compassionate for not only Zelda, but for everyone whom he cared for. His eyes always seemed so sharp and adventurous, sparkling with excitement. Everything about him was so... real. Just thinking about Link gave Zelda butterflies in her stomach.

"You love him, don't you?" Impa asked, tilting her head at the young woman.

Zelda grinned, opening her eyes and staring at the high ceiling. "Of course I do..." she replied honestly, exhaling through her nose. "I love everything about him."

The older woman thought for a minute, resting her hands on her hips. "And just what are your plans for the future?" she asked, not sure that Zelda had thought everything through.

"What do you mean by that?" she answered, not sure exactly what Impa had meant by it.

The woman sighed, crossing her arms. "I mean... you will be turning 18 years old very soon, and I'm not sure that you've thought through your relationship with the boy. Have you decided anything about your future with him? Are you even certain that the relationship will last? Do you plan on spending your life with him?"

The young woman's grin subsided quickly. Was Impa asking... what Zelda thought that she was asking? "Impa..." she started, twiddling her thumbs, "obviously that isn't my decision alone..."

"Yes, but what would your decision be?" she asked, standing up straight.

Zelda's mouth was as dry as sand. How could she possibly answer that question? She and Link were both so young, and they still had so much time. Of course she loved him, but... how could she possibly make such a decision so quickly? There were bigger issues to take care of in Hyrule, and that wasn't one of them. She and Link were happy, and that was all that mattered, wasn't it?

"Impa..." Zelda started, unsure of how to respond. "I... I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"I want you to tell me the truth," the woman stated firmly, sitting down beside the girl. "If you and Link do stay together for far longer, then... are you willing to marry him?"

The young queen held her hands together to keep them from shaking as she bit her cheek in apprehension. Wasn't she a bit young to be thinking about this? She was still a minor, after all. Still, Impa had told her for several years that she must always keep her future in mind...

"We can discuss this later," Zelda replied, clenching her fists at her sides as she stood up tall. "We have more important things to focus on at the moment."

The woman pursed her lips, nodding. "Understood, Zelda. We'll discuss this later, after the meeting. Eventually, you must make a decision."

The girl sighed, staring at her feet. "I know, Impa," she nodded understandingly. "I know I do..."

Just two hours later, Zelda was finally ready for the conference in Castle Town. Impa walked beside her as they headed downstairs towards the foyer in complete silence. The older woman pushed the door open with a loud clang, politely holding it open for the girl.

A wide grin grew on Zelda's face as she instantly noticed Link standing near the front doors that led outside towards Castle Town, dressed in his usual green garb once again. Zelda was wearing what she usually wore around the castle; it was the same dress that she had worn when Zant had invaded the kingdom...

She darted forward towards the beaming young man and threw her arms around his neck. Link stumbled backwards slightly, holding onto her waist as he gave her a long, deep kiss on the lips. Zelda melted into the kiss, her eyes fluttering shut as she ran her fingers through his hair. She moaned as he pulled away breathlessly, leaning her forehead up against hers.

"I'm sorry for getting so upset earlier, Zelda," he apologized, caressing her cheek with his fingertips. "You didn't do anything wrong, I'm just a jacka-"

"Watch your language, boy," Impa growled at him from behind Zelda, scowling.

The girl smiled slightly, shaking her head. "Let's just forget about it, okay?"

He nodded in agreement, grinning. "Okay," he answered, pulling away from her. They smiled at each other silently for a moment before he stretched his hand towards her. "I guess we should get going, then..."

She nodded, grabbing onto his hand. "Let's go... together."

Impa bit her cheek, smiling slightly at the two young adults. She took a step towards the door, pushing it open for the two of them. Zelda tightened her grip on his hand as they exited the castle, making their way towards Castle Town.

After what seemed to be the longest time, the three reached the gate. Impa reached towards the rough surface, exhaling deeply as she forcefully pushed it open.

They could hear the excited shouts of the enthusiastic crowd as they neared the two podiums set up near the center of the town. They let go of each other as they stepped up to the podiums.

Zelda cleared her throat as the crowd quieted down. She began to explain why the conference was being held as Link scanned through the crowd for familiar faces. He knew quite a few of the people who were there. There was Agitha, the peculiar little girl with an even more peculiar obsession with bugs, Telma, the owner of the local bar... Link tried to make out the face of the girl who was standing just beside Telma. She turned her head slightly, giving Link a better view of her face.

He made a sort of choking sound in the back of his throat as he nearly stumbled backwards, feeling as if his stomach had dropped into his feet. It couldn't have been her. There was no way that she would have come all this way for... for what? She had no reason to be there! That... had to be someone else.

"Any and all questions will be answered to our best ability, I can assure you. Right, Link?" Zelda smiled over to him. Her jaw dropped a bit when she noticed how pale he had become in just the past few seconds.

"Uh, yeah..." he replied, even though he hadn't heard anything that she had just told him. "Definitely."

"Are you okay?" she mouthed to him, turning away from the crowd slightly.

He nodded vigorously, not wanting to worry her. It was an enormous lie.

Zelda turned back to the crowd, not believing him. Almost instantly, dozens of hands sprung into the air with a wave of exhilarated shouting.

The young woman peered into the crowd, trying to focus on the meeting. She pointed to a young girl in the crowd. "Yes, you in the pink blouse. What's your question?"

The girl, who couldn't have been older than 15 years old, grinned widely in knowing that she would be the first to ask. "Are you and Link... y'know... going out?"

Zelda and Link nodded in unison. Zelda smiled slightly, staring down at the podium as Link cleared his throat. "Uh... yeah. We are, actually," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck.

The young queen wasted no time in moving on to the next question. "You, in the brown tunic."

A scowling old man stepped forward, pushing his glasses up. "I have a far more RELEVANT question, actually," he started in a gruff voice. "What do you plan to do in an attempt to repair all property damaged during the recent Twilight invasion?"

"That's a very good question," Zelda nodded, standing up taller. "I will be funding all reconstruction projects for any property dama-"

"Why do YOU have to pay for it?" a shrill voice spoke up, stepping forward.

Zelda leaned forward to see over her podium better, only to find a familiar face standing before her. "T-Talo?" she whispered loudly, visibly puzzled. She shook her head clearing her throat. "As the queen of Hyrule, I must care for my citize-"

"But you didn't do any damage," he interrupted, crossing his arms. "Link did a lot of damage, actually."

"I heard that he burned down a house!" another high-pitched voice called out from the crowd. It must have been Malo.

"I can assure you that he d-" Zelda stopped herself short, processing Malo's words. She turned to Link, whispering loudly. "You did WHAT?!"

"I-it was an accident!" he whispered back defensively.

"Link owes me 50 rupees!" Agitha yelled out, pouting and crossing her arms. "He gave me double of the same kind of dragonfly from the Gerudo Desert, but I only wanted one!"

Zelda stared at the girl for a minute before slowly turning to Link, her mouth slightly agape. "...What is she talking about?"

"It was a... misunderstanding. I'll pay her back," he explained, frowning slightly.

The young woman pursed her lips slightly, turning back to the crowd. "Uh, you in th-" Zelda cut herself off as she stared into the crowd.

Link leaned forward onto his podium, staring down at the ground. He knew exactly who Zelda was looking at.

"I had something to tell in in person, actually, Your Majesty," Ilia told the dumbfounded young woman. "It's very... personal, I suppose. But you're good at helping your subjects with their problems, aren't you?"

Zelda bit her cheek. "Of course..." she replied, her voice wavering slightly. "I would... be happy to help you."

"Perfect," she nodded, smiling sweetly.

Perhaps this was what Ilia had acted like before she had lost her memory, Zelda thought. Only, there was obviously something more behind Ilia's intentions, which made her nervous.

The rest of the conference was a blur for the two teenagers. They answered any questions that they were asked by the residents of Castle Town to their best ability, as they had promised, though their stomachs were churning with apprehension. What was Ilia going to tell them? Why had she come all the way there?

After a few more hours, Impa finally notified all of the citizens that the meeting had come to an end. She quickly pulled Link and Zelda aside, obviously stressed out.

"Why are you two acting so strangely?" she glared at them, crossing her arms. "Zelda, your hands are shaking! A-and Link, you look as pale as a paper cloud!"

"That girl..." Link frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "That's Ilia."

Impa raised an eyebrow. "You mean... as in..."

"She likes Link..." Zelda nodded, clasping her hands together.

"Like is an understatement, Your Majesty," a voice interrupted from behind Zelda, tapping her on the shoulder.

The wise queen gasped in surprise, pivoting on her heel to face the girl. "Oh... hello, Ilia," she greeted her, giving her a fake smile. "It's... lovely to see you."

"Alright, then," she waved her hand dismissively, rolling her eyes. "I think that we should discuss some things..."

"Of course..." Zelda nodded, biting her lip. She turned towards the castle, grabbing onto Link's hand. "Let's all go inside, shall we?"

Ilia scowled, wrinkling her nose as Talo and Malo followed behind her. The group headed towards the castle, unsure of what was going to happen.


	12. Making Amends

A/N: Hey guys ^.^ So... thank you so much for all of the reviews and follows. I couldn't ask for a better audience. Thank you so much for all of your continued support. I wish there was some way that I could thank you all enough for your awesomeness, but I can't. However, you can always leave suggestions for the story in your review... (hint hint hinty hint.) In the meantime, I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter, and, for the billionth time, thankssomuch :D

Chapter 12

Impa led the group to the downstairs parlor in the castle, suspicious of the Ordonian girl. Why had she come all this way to see Link and Zelda? Surely she was planning something...

Link and Zelda sat down on a loveseat while Malo and Ilia sat across from them. Talo wandered around the room, grinning childishly as he stared at the high ceiling.

"Would anyone like anything to drink?" Impa asked politely, eyeing everyone one by one.

Malo sat up taller, clearing his throat. "Do you have any iced tea?" he asked the woman, cocking his head.

"Why, ye-" Impa started, only to be quickly interrupted by the young boy.

"Oh, what am I saying, of course you do. This is Hyrule Castle, after all. I'll take one iced tea, unsweetened, but do NOT forget the lemon. My brother will take whatever childish drink you have; give him some milk, or something," Malo explained, waving his hand dismissively.

Impa nodded curtly, unsure of what to think about Malo. "Um... anything else?"

"I'll take a glass of water," Ilia spoke up, crossing her arms. "Oh, and one more thing..." The girl stood up, taking a step towards the older woman. Ilia leaned forward, whispering something into her ear.

Link and Zelda glanced at each other nervously as Impa nodded politely, turning on her heel and exiting the room. The group sat in silence for a moment as Talo wandered around the room.

"This place is so awesome!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing off of the solid stone walls. "You live here? You must be, like, super rich!"

Malo rolled his eyes, slouching forward slightly. "She's a queen, you dunce. Of course she's wealthy."

Talo narrowed his eyes as he stopped for a moment, turning towards his brother. "Hey, Link?"

"Yeah?" Link responded, leaning back in his seat.

"Can I borrow your sword for a minute?" he asked innocently, still eyeing his little brother.

"Not a chance," Link answered in a dull voice. "We don't need any more property damage."

"You mean like that house that you burned down back in Kakariko Village?" Ilia scowled, crossing her arms.

"That was an accident!" Link defended himself, sitting up straight. "And there wasn't anyone living there, anyway."

"Because the woman living there turned into a Twili Beast. And then you killed her," the girl reminded him.

He lowered his head slightly, frowning in guilt. "I... I didn't know who it was. I had to defend myself."

"Why have you come so far to see us?" Zelda asked, trying to change the subject.

Ilia crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "We have some things to discuss, as you probably know. Of course, you seem to be a little slow on some things, so maybe you don't know already..."

There it was. Both Link and Zelda had expected her to snap at any moment. Honestly, it was as if she were a time bomb...

"Those are some big words from someone who can't even save their own skin," Link barked, gritting his teeth at Ilia.

Zelda frowned, surprised that the arguing had started so soon. Couldn't Ilia just try to get along with her and Link? It was as if she was arguing for the sake of argument...

"Oh, that's rich," the Ordonian girl laughed coldly. "You know, your girlfriend isn't exactly the most resourceful, either. She was nothing but a damsel in distress for the majority of the time that Hyrule was being invaded!"

"Well, she sure sacrificed a lot more than you did!" Link retorted, on the edge of his seat.

The young queen flinched, not used to hearing Link so angry. "Can we not-"

"Oh, sure she did! It's not like I got shot with a poisoned arrow and lost my memory, or anything!" the girl yelled at the top of her lungs.

"If she didn't surrender, then we would all be dead! Hyrule would have been completely overtaken by darkness, and our home would have been destroyed! What could you possibly have against her, anyway?!" he nearly screamed at her, clenching his fists at his sides.

"She's JEALOUS of Zelda, you buffoon!" Malo yelled, shaking his head. Silence fell over the group as the young boy buried his face into his hands. "For the love of Nayru, how can you possibly be so OBLIVIOUS?! Ilia is jealous that you love Zelda instead of her!" Malo groaned, shaking his head. "I swear, it's like trying to have an intelligent conversation with a block of cheese..."

They were all quiet as they heard the door click open. Impa entered the room holding a large tray of drinks. She quickly darted over to the group, handing Talo, Malo, and Ilia their drinks. "Here's your iced tea, milk, and water."

A smile grew on her face as she hopped over to Link, handing him a tall glass. "Ilia wanted me to surprise you with this. I made it myself. Horse grass tea is your favorite, isn't it?"

Link grimaced down at the cup. The last time he had tried horse grass tea was when he and Ilia were little kids, and it came right back up. Since then, he couldn't do so much as look at the stuff without gagging.

Impa frowned, wringing her hands. "If you don't like it, then I can make you something else..."

"N-no," the young man interjected, sitting up tall. "I love this stuff. It's... strong."

He could sense that everyone was watching him as he took a deep breath, putting the glass to his lips and taking a sip. His face nearly turned green as he forced himself to swallow it, trying not to show his distress.

Impa smiled, tilting her head slightly. "I'm glad you like it. I'll leave you all here to discuss things in private. Come find me when you're finished!" The older woman skipped out of the room happily as Link shook with anger, feeling as if he was going to throw up.

"What's wrong with you? Why would you tell her that I like horse grass tea?" he snapped, standing up and stomping over to her. "You know what happened last time! I thought that we were friends!"

"How am I supposed to call you a friend? You obviously don't even care, any more," she hissed, standing up and glaring at him.

"I do care, Ilia!" he shouted, his hands burning from the almost boiling-hot tea he was holding. "If you would stop giving me the cold shoulder because I love Zelda, then maybe we could be friends!"

Ilia's hands shook with rage as they scowled at each other. Before she could stop herself, she snatched the tea out of Link's hands, pouring it onto his chest.

The young man shouted in pain, pulling the collar of his shirt away from him as the steaming tea singed his skin.

Zelda stood up quickly, clenching her fists as she made her way towards Ilia. The Ordonian girl balled her hand into a fist, pulling it back and swinging towards the young queen. Zelda moved quickly, dodging the blow and shoving Ilia back onto the couch.

The girl growled, standing back up and charging at the young woman. Zelda grabbed Ilia by the throat, digging her nails into her neck as she nearly threw her onto the sofa. Before Ilia could try to get up again, Zelda put a hand forward, zapping the girl with electricity.

Ilia yelped loudly, scooting backwards. Talo and Malo stood in shock as they tried to process what had just happened.

The young woman darted over to Link as he groaned in pain, his hands shaking. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, biting her lip as she gazed at his chest.

He nodded weakly. "I-I'm fine," he tried to assure her as he stood up tall.

Zelda pulled his tunic over his head, causing him to blush. She examined the burn on his chest, frowning. "You need some burn ointment; it's going to blister. Fortunately, only a small portion of skin was damaged. I'm going to go find some medici-"

"What in the world happened?!" Impa called out from the doorway. "I was only gone for a minute! Link, why is your shirt on the floor?! And what happened to your chest?!"

"He needs burn ointment," Zelda frowned, resting a hand on his bare shoulder.

"You just missed the coolest fight," Talo told Impa enthusiastically, taking a sip of milk. "I think Zelda won."

"WHAT?!" Impa shrieked, putting her hands on her hips.

"It won't happen again," Ilia growled, rubbing her neck in pain.

...

Zelda rubbed the ointment on Link's chest as he groaned, biting his lip.

"This is absolutely unacceptable!" Impa scolded the teenagers, crossing her arms. "The three of you are practically adults! You will all apologize to each other immediately!"

"What are we, twelve?" Ilia rolled her eyes, slouching forward. "Apologizing won't fix anything..."

"I don't care if it fixes anything or not, girl!" the woman barked, narrowing her eyes. "You've all been acting like twelve year olds, and I think that you owe each other an apology!"

"To be fair," Malo chimed in, still sipping his iced tea, "Zelda wasn't involved in the dispute until Ilia poured tea on Link."

"Yeah," Talo agreed, grinning cheekily. "Then she went totally berserk and beat up Ilia! It was awesome!"

The Ordonian rolled her eyes again. "She didn't beat me up..."

"Then why do you have scratches on your neck?" Impa asked, raising an eyebrow.

The girl sighed, leaning back in her seat. "Whatever."

"Well, if Zelda was merely acting to protect Link, then I suppose that Ilia and the young man owe each other an apology," Impa suggested, eyeing the two.

Link sighed, pulling his shirt back over his head. "Is this really necessary?" he asked unenthusiastically.

"Yes," Impa replied, grabbing them both by the arms and pulling them onto their feet. Ilia stood before Link, biting her cheek.

The young man frowned guiltily, knowing that he had been harsh to her. She had been going through a lot of pain, and he shouldn't have been so hard on her. "I'm sorry, Ilia," he apologized, wringing his hands.

The girl lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes softening. "I'm sorry, too," she told him, sighing. "I'm sorry for everything."

Link bit his cheek lightly, pulling the girl close to him. She smiled slightly, pecking him on the cheek. He let go of her, staring at his feet.

Zelda frowned, wondering if things had always been this way before they had grown apart. Perhaps they could be friends again and things could go back to normal...

The two turned away from each other and walked back to their seats in silence.

Zelda rested her head on Link's shoulder, putting a hand on his thigh as she exhaled through her nose. Link obviously cared deeply for Ilia; they had been friends for such a long time. Surely he never could have predicted that she would grow to love him in a different way...

"You see?" Impa asked, putting her hands on her hips. "That wasn't so difficult, was it?" She sat down beside Ilia, examining the scratches on her neck. "Are you alright?"

Ilia rubbed the back of her neck, just as Link often did. "I'm okay," she frowned.

"You totally had it coming," Talo spoke up, slouching in his chair.

The girl narrowed her eyes at him, scoffing as she turned away. "Oh, what do you know? You're not even old enough to visit the milk bar..."

"Well, you did hurt Link in front of Zelda," he pointed out.

The young queen intertwined her fingers with Link's, frowning slightly. She hadn't wished to hurt Ilia, but... she wasn't going to let Link get hurt.

"I mean, that's, like, a death sentence!" Talo rambled on.

"And she's the Queen of Hyrule," Malo interrupted, sitting up. "She could LITERALLY have you sentenced to death."

The older brother frowned, twiddling his thumbs. "Uh, Zelda? You aren't going to give Ilia the death sentence, are you?" he asked, a nervous tone in his voice. "I mean, she's pretty bossy and grumpy, but... well, we still love her."

Link smiled warmly, still holding onto Zelda's hand. "Nobody's receiving the death sentence, Talo," he assured him, yawning quietly. "Zelda wouldn't allow that to happen."

"It's true," Impa agreed, resting her hand on Zelda's shoulder. "Though, she obviously doesn't go easy on those who trifle with her loved ones..."

"No kidding..." Ilia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"I'm sure that you would do the same if your loved ones were in danger..." the older woman reminded her, taking a hand off of Zelda's shoulder.

"It seems that all pain that is inflicted upon Ilia's loved ones is usually caused by none other than Ilia, herself," Malo rolled his eyes.

"Oh, bite me!" she snapped, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair.

Zelda sighed, biting her lip as she turned to Link. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked, lightly caressing his cheek with her gloved fingertips.

He nodded, tugging on the collar of his shirt. "I'm alright," he assured her, smiling slightly as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers.

Malo scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Disgusting," he remarked, turning away from the two. "As if there isn't anything more productive to do..."

The young woman smiled into the kiss, pulling away from Link. "And what exactly do you consider 'productive'?" she asked, grinning at him.

The little boy thought for a minute, biting his cheek. "Well, I'm not talking about reproduction, if that's what you're thinking," he responded pensively, shaking his head lightly.

The two fell silent, their mouths slightly agape.

"Uh, Malo..." Link tried to stop him as Zelda's face burned crimson.

"...though you certainly COULD reproduce, if you two chose to..." he rambled on, oblivious to Link's words.

"Malo...?" the young man raised his volume slightly, trying desperately to make him stop.

The boy continued. "...not that we need your children littering the kingdom, anywa-"

"MALO!" Link shouted, causing him to jump. "Can you not?!"

The young queen buried her face into her hands, shaking her head. Didn't the boy have any filter on him?

"You must not know much about social affairs, kid," Impa frowned, crossing her arms.

Talo snickered, shaking his head. "Yeah, he's a little slow, isn't he?"

The younger brother crossed his arms, sitting up straight. "Oh, I'M slow, am I? How amusing. If I remember correctly, YOU'RE the one who broke his thumb trying to wrestle a FISH."

"Why in the world..." the older woman raised an eyebrow, trailing off.

"That was ONE TIME!" Talo barked, pouting as he averted his brother's gaze. "You never let things go, do you?!"

Malo rolled his eyes. "What could I have possibly done that could be considered inappropriate?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You mentioned childbearing to two hormonal teenagers who would rather not have that discussion," Impa nodded curtly.

"And that's... not appropriate?" he asked, puzzled.

"Not even slightly, Malo," Ilia interrupted, obviously unwilling to discuss the subject further.

"Huh. Curious. I'll take note of it," the little boy told them, nodding as he pursed his lips.

Link threw an arm around Zelda, pecking her on the cheek and yawning tiredly. "I love you," he muttered into her ear, causing her to smile.

She suddenly remembered the conversation that she and Impa had before the conference. She had asked Zelda... if she was willing to spend the rest of her days with the young man. Impa had told her that they could discuss it later, but surely she hadn't expected Zelda to make a decision by then.

The young woman bit her lip as she tensed up, gazing at her lap. She couldn't make that decision. At least... not now. It was so soon...

She smiled sadly as he pecked her on the cheek, sitting up straight. "I love you, too," she replied, her mind clouded in her own thoughts.

Impa bit her lip, staring at the young queen who had a blank expression. Talo and Malo began to argue again, distracting Link and Ilia as the older woman grabbed Zelda by the arm, pulling her aside.

The woman frowned, brushing a piece of hair behind the girl's ear. "What's the matter?" she asked, resting her hands on Zelda's shoulders.

"Impa..." the young woman managed to croak out, her voice barely audible. She glanced over at the beaming young man, biting her cheek as she glanced down at the floor. Zelda turned back to the woman, closing her eyes tightly. "Impa... we need to talk."

"Oh..." she said, pulling her hands off of the girl as her eyes softened slightly. "I see... perhaps we should speak in private, then..."

Link turned towards Impa and Zelda as they quietly exited to room, trying their best to be discreet. He raised an eyebrow as the brothers continued to quarrel, much to Ilia's amusement. Where were the two headed? Was something wrong with Zelda?

The young man quickly stood up, following the two as they headed down the narrow hallway. He tried his best to walk quietly as the girls turned the corner, stopping once they were certain that they were alone.

"I... I don't know what to do, Impa..." Zelda told the woman as she leaned against the wall.

The boy frowned as he kept his back to the wall. What was wrong with Zelda? Surely there was something very wrong if she had felt that she couldn't tell Link. Perhaps he wasn't supposed to hear what they were discussing...

"About what?" the woman asked, tilting her head.

"You... you asked me if I was planning on... on marrying Link," the girl reminded her, clasping her hands together.

The young hero's eyes flew open wide as his jaw nearly hit the floor. He definitely wasn't supposed to be hearing this.

"You love him, don't you?" Impa asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Of course I do..." she answered without hesitation. "I thought that we'd already had this conversation..."

"Then why are you afraid?" she asked, crossing her arms. "If you love him, then... what's the matter?"

Zelda paused, biting her cheek. "I just... I love him so much, and... I just don't want to rush anything."

"It's not as if you're marrying him next week, Zelda," Impa sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"I-I know," she replied, shaking her head. "But... we haven't known each other for very long, and it seems ridiculous, in my opinion, that you and I are even considering these things at this point in time. I should be... enjoying it while it lasts. I don't expect that he'll consider any long-term commitments for a very long time, if ever, and that's perfectly fine by me."

"And if he DOES propose to you?" Impa asked, putting her hands on her hips. She took a step forward, raising an eyebrow. "Then what will you do?"

Link bit his lip as he clenched his fists at his sides, trying desperately not to speak.

"Then..." Zelda started, closing her eyes as she bowed her head slightly. "If that time comes, then I will tell him what I truly feel at that moment."

"But your fear is not rooted within the commitment," she told her matter-of-factly. "I believe that you are fearful of the boy's own opinion. I think that you would marry him, given the chance."

Link and Zelda's faces both flooded red at Impa's words.

"Why do you say that?" the girl asked, her hands shaking.

The older woman smirked at her, crossing her arms as she turned on her heel. "Because this topic wouldn't even be up for discussion if you hadn't already been considering marrying the young man," she remarked, walking away in the opposite direction.

Zelda frowned, resting her head against the wall and sighing as the boy quietly made his way back to the door. She pressed her hands against the cold stone walls, gazing at the floor. She turned her head suspiciously as she heard the door that she had entered through click shut.


	13. Telma

A/N: See? I'm capable of posting on time. Just a note: This chapter is a bit shorter than others, as I have a lot planned for the next. There will be a couple of new characters introduced in this one, so hopefully you guys are fans of The Resistance... Anyway, make sure you leave a review if you have the time, and hopefully I'll be able to improve my story! ^.^ Thanks for everything!

Chapter 13

Link's hands shook as he tried to sit still on the couch. Zelda sat beside him, unaware that he had been listening to her conversation with Impa.

Ilia leaned her head on her hand, her eyes only half-open as she stared off into space. "So are we gonna head back to Ordon?" she asked in a monotonous voice.

"Do you think we should, Link?" the young queen asked, turning to face him.

"I- uh... yeah, sure..." he replied, unable to focus.

She rested a hand on his leg, frowning slightly. "Is something wrong?" she asked, gently rubbing his thigh.

"I'm... I'm fine," he tried to assure her, his eyes slightly widened.

"Have you been drinking?" Talo asked, tilting his head slightly.

Link sighed quietly. "No, I'm not drunk," he replied, shaking his head.

Zelda leaned closer to him, pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back, not wanting her to think that something was wrong.

She smiled, pulling away from him. "You think that we should go back to Ordon Village?" she asked, sitting up straight.

He nodded. "I don't see why not. Plus we should probably escort them back, anyway. It's a wonder they made it here unharmed..."

The young queen nodded in agreement. "They may not be so fortunate next time... we'll take them back ourselves."

"It would be safest to take a carriage," Impa suddenly interjected from behind them.

The group jumped, startled by the woman's sudden appearance.

"Uh, y-yeah, I guess we could..." Link nodded, composing himself. "It would be faster, too..."

"And they're so cool-looking!" Talo chimed in, grinning widely.

Malo rolled his eyes. "You really don't have any priorities, do you?"

"Not sensible ones," Ilia sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"It's settled, then," Zelda proclaimed, standing up tall. She offered Link a hand, pulling him to his feet. She bit her cheek when she realized how sweaty his palms were. Was there something wrong...?

"We're taking the carriage back to Ordon Village?" Talo asked, an eager tone in his voice.

"Um... yes," Zelda nodded slowly, having been slightly thrown off her train of thought. "We are."

"We have a carriage outside Castle Town, which will only take a moment to be prepared..." the older woman explained. "Are you planning on leaving immediately?"

"Yes," Link blurted out impatiently. "We should go now. I mean... it's looking a little cloudy, and we wouldn't want to get stuck in the rain..."

Impa nodded curtly. "That's a very good point," she told him, clearing her throat. "I'll go order the guards to prepare the carriage."

Zelda thanked the woman quietly, wondering why Link was in such a hurry. He didn't usually seem bothered by rain. Perhaps he was just trying to be cautious...

The older woman quickly walked off towards the main entrance, only to be joined by the group moments later. Link bit his lip in thought, walking between the queen and Ilia as his mind began to wander off.

Zelda frowned, grabbing onto the boy's hand. Maybe he was just tired. He hadn't gotten much rest, after all...

The six made their way through Castle Town towards the South Gate as they tried their best not to draw too much attention to themselves. Zelda sighed as the young man remained quiet, his eyes glazing over in thought.

"Here we are," Impa proclaimed as the group climbed down the stairs just outside of the gate, leading them into Hyrule Field.

Talo wondrously examined the large carriage, his eyes dancing with curiosity. "It's so cool..." he states, admiring the elegant design. He prodded one of the wheels with his finger, grinning cheekily.

"It fits up to ten passengers, not including the driver," the woman explained, putting her hands on her hips. "Come to think of it, it really doesn't need any more preparations. Just needs a horse to pull it and a driver..."

"Link has a horse," Ilia chimed in, lifting her head slightly. "She hasn't ever pulled a carriage, but she's really smart."

Impa nodded. "Certainly. But who would drive the thing?"

"Well, Link can always do it..." Talo pointed out, standing on his tiptoes.

The young queen's gaze darted over to the boy beside her as she bit her cheek. "Link should get some rest..." she frowned, letting go of his hand and caressing his cheek with her fingertips. "It's been a very long day..."

Malo rolled his eyes. "No kidding. The sun's already started to set..." he pointed out, gazing at the sky.

Impa thought for a moment, pursing her lips as she crossed her arms. "I can go see if Telma's available to drive the carriage," she nodded. "Does that sound okay?"

Ilia's head perked up at the mention of the woman, a hopeful grin growing on her lips. "You really think she'll be able to come help?" she asked.

The woman nodded. "Certainly," she assured the girl. "Telma has always been close with the Royal Family of Hyrule. Are the two of you close?"

The Ordonian girl nodded vigorously, folding her arms. "She helped me out after the invasion... I couldn't thank her enough."

The older woman smiled slightly. "I'm glad to hear that you two are familiar with each other. She's a very compassionate woman..." she told her. Impa cleared her throat loudly, turning away from the group of minors. "I'm going to head down to Telma's Bar to go speak with her. The five of you stay out of trouble."

"I'll keep an eye on them!" Malo declared as Impa ran off back towards the town, leaving them alone once again.

Link walked over to the carriage, sighing as he uncovered the back, climbing inside. Zelda followed closely behind him, worried that there was something wrong.

The young man sat down on one of the cushions, burying his face into his hands. She took a seat beside him, comfortingly rubbing one of her hands on his back as she frowned.

"What's wrong, Link?" she asked him in a gentle voice, leaning in close.

He shook his head, sitting up straight. "I-it's nothing. I just... I have a lot on my mind," he tried to assure her.

Well, he wasn't a complete liar.

She cupped his chin in her hand, turning his head to face her as she locked her lips to his. He hummed into the kiss as Zelda weaved her fingers through his blonde hair, smiling slightly. A low groan emitted from the back of his throat as she straddled his hips, her lips attacking his hungrily.

Link clenched the back of her dress in his fists as he gently nibbled on her lip, running his fingers through her hair. His lips trailed further and further down her neck, eventually finding their way to her collarbone. Her chest heaved as she shivered at the sensation, her skin covered in goosebumps. Link suddenly stopped himself as his lips found their way to her chest, right at the neckline of her dress.

The young woman groaned impatiently as he slowly brought his lips back up to hers, smirking. He planted a kiss on her lips, gently running his hand down the side of her waist. "Something wrong?" he asked, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.

"You... y-you're a tease," she exhaled deeply, shaking her head.

He ran a finger down her torso, causing her to bite her lip anxiously.

"I don't know what you're talking about..." he replied innocently, rubbing her thigh.

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about!" she grinned, playfully shoving him in the arm.

Zelda gasped in surprise as Link grabbed onto her waist, laying her down on her back. Her eyes fluttered shut as he gently kissed her on her jawline, firmly holding onto her hips.

She moaned as his hands trailed down further, grasping onto her rear end. She attacked his lips with hers, gripping the collar of his shirt in her hands.

"Zelda..." he whispered to her breathlessly, shaking his head.

They both stopped suddenly as they heard slow footsteps outside of the carriage. The young queen quickly jumped off of Link, trying to compose herself as she sat beside him. He cleared his throat as somebody uncovered the back of the carriage and poked their head inside. It was Malo.

"What's going on?" the young boy asked, slowly stepping inside.

"What? Oh, nothing much. We're just... discussing some things," Link replied, rubbing the back of his neck as Zelda nodded. The young man sat up straight. "W-why do you ask?"

"Well... I was curious as to why you both have such disheveled hair," Malo pointed out crossing his arms.

"Uh..." Link hesitated, combing his fingers through his bangs as Zelda smoothed her hair down, biting her cheek. "I... guess we do, don't we?"

He nodded curtly. "Most definitely. So you say you were just talking?"

The young man cleared his throat, nodding. "Uh... y-yeah."

"Funny..." Malo thought to himself for a moment, scratching his head. "Last time I checked, chatting doesn't require shoving your tongue down someone's throat."

The two teenagers both froze, staring at each other. Link felt his cheeks burn as his hands shook. "W-what?"

"We can hear everything that you two are saying from out there," the child scowled, putting his hands on his hips. "Unless you're trying to make Ilia more angry, I suggest that you both tone it down a bit."

"I'd thought that she felt better than before," Zelda frowned, crossing her legs as she sat up tall.

The little boy rolled his eyes. "She's a girl. All girls ever want to do is discuss girl things and argue with the opposite gender."

Link cleared his throat, glaring at the boy as he crossed his arms. He nodded over to Zelda slightly. "Not ALL girls are like that, Malo," he grumbled, hoping that the boy would take the hint.

"Huh?" he asked, glancing over to the lovely young woman. "Oh, right. You're... alright, I suppose."

Zelda smiled warmly, knowing that he was trying to be kind. She knelt down to his level, wrapping her arms around him. "You're a sweetheart, Malo," she replied, letting go of him.

"Why does HE get a hug?!" a high-pitched voice shouted from the carriage entrance.

The three turned to face the voice, only to find Talo standing by the entrance, crossing his arms. "He never does anything nice! I'm way nicer than he is!" he pouted, frowning.

The young queen grinned, stepping over to the older brother. "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah. I'm better than Malo, and I don't get any reward," he complained, scowling.

"You want a hug?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.

"Better," he stated sternly.

"A kiss on the cheek?" she questioned, kneeling down.

"How about the lips?" he tried to persuade her.

"The cheek is fine," Link growled, crossing his arms.

"Fine," Talo agreed, groaning slightly.

Zelda leaned towards the boy, puckering her lips. Just as her lips were about to connect with his cheek, he quickly turned his head, pecking her on the lips with a loud smack.

The young woman gasped in surprise as she pulled away. A cheeky grin quickly grew on the older brother's face as Link nearly turned red with fury, gritting his teeth.

"TALO!" the young man shouted as Zelda's cheeks burned bright crimson. She turned away bashfully as the boy ran away, giggling to himself.

"Zelda, I'm so sorry about him," Link tried to explain, shaking his head.

Her face began to grow hot as she stood up, clasping her hands together.

Malo shook his head, aggravated. "By all means, you have every right to corporally punish him," he reminded her, crossing his arms. "It wouldn't bother any of us."

"That isn't necessary..." she shook her head, blushing. "He's just a boy..."

"He knows exactly what he's doing!" Link barked, scowling. "He knows that it's wrong! You can't let him get away with that!"

A grin grew on her face as she rested her hands on her hips. "Don't tell me that you're actually envious of the young boy," she giggled, stepping towards Link.

"What? No. That's... th-that would be stupid," he stammered, clenching his fists. "He's just a kid; of course I'm not jealous."

"All right..." she smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I believe you..." Zelda craned her neck forward slightly, only to be interrupted when she heard a scoff from the young boy.

Link and Zelda both turned to face the young boy. "Problem?" the young man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You two are so gross," Malo rolled his eyes.

"You'll understand when you're older," Link assured him, resting a hand on Zelda's hip.

"I don't know about that. You didn't seem to show any interest in the opposite sex until you met the Queen of Hyrule herself," he pointed out, crossing his arms.

Before Link could answer him, he was interrupted by the sound of a hearty, feminine chuckle.

"Trust me, honey, that happens all the time," the voice laughed warmly.

The three turned towards the carriage entrance, only to be greeted by the sight of the barkeep, Telma, and Ilia. The grinning woman approached the two teenagers steadily, turning her attention towards Link. "But who could resist falling head over heels for Zelda? She's a lovely girl."

"Uh... d-definitely," Link replied, rubbing the back of his neck as the queen blushed slightly. "She's amazing."

"Telma agreed to take us back to Ordon," Ilia interrupted, crossing her arms. "But there's one condition..."

"Oh?" Zelda asked, standing up straight. "And what would that be?"

Telma cleared her throat. "One of the members of The Resistance, Rusl, is a resident of Ordon Village. He headed back home a little while ago to see his family, and a couple other members wanted to pay him a visit..."

Just as Telma finished her sentence, the back of the carriage burst open, revealing an obviously annoyed Ashei standing in front of Talo.

"Please tell me that I don't have to travel with this kid," she snarled, pointing at the child.

Talo snickered as Telma shrugged, crossing her arms.

"Miss Telma," a deep voice called out from behind Ashei. The girl stepped aside, revealing a young man behind her. He pushed his glasses up slightly, adjusting his satchel as he held Telma's cat, Louise. "Is there anywhere that I can store my-"

The man stopped himself short as his eyes fell on Zelda. His jaw nearly hit the floor as he dropped the cat, running towards the young queen. "Your Majesty!" he exclaimed, bowing slightly. "It is an honor to meet you."

"Oh, that's Shad," Telma smiled warmly, patting him on the back. "He's no exception when it comes to those who... uh... DEEPLY admire our queen."

"Oh..." Link said quietly, a look of realization dawning upon him.

"It's lovely to meet you," Zelda smiled sweetly, shaking Shad's hand.

"It's... my pleasure," he nodded, his heart pounding against his chest. "I wasn't able to attend the meeting earlier, unfortunately. You look beautiful."

She let go of his hand, grinning. "Thank you very much. You're looking quite well, yourself. Have you met Link?"

Shad looked over the girl's shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "Link? I didn't see you there."

The young hero took a step forward, standing beside Zelda. "I live in Ordon. Zelda's coming with us because she's my girlfriend."

The scholar's eyes flew open as he took a step backwards. "You... really? No way," he shook his head in disbelief.

"Honey, you haven't heard?" Telma frowned slightly.

"You must not get out much," Ilia rolled her eyes, sitting down. "I thought that everyone knew by now..."

"Oh..." Shad frowned, his face deflating slightly. "Uh... congratulations, Link. That's... great."

Ashei smirked, slapping him in the back. "You'll get over it," she assured him. "It's not like you were going to charm the queen, anyway."

He rolled his eyes, pushing his glasses up slightly. "I've no idea what you're talking about, Ash..."

"Ohhhhh..." Talo said aloud, finally realizing what they were discussing. "Man, I guess everyone thinks that Zelda's hot..."

"Apparently," Ilia rolled her eyes, wrinkling her nose as she slouched forward.

The queen's cheeks began to burn as she sat down, crossing her legs. Link sat down beside her, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Aw, who could blame them?" Telma asked, smiling. "She's a beautiful girl, no doubt about it."

"Oh, you should be glad that you've got such a respectable boyfriend, Your Majesty," Ashei remarked, crossing her arms. "Honestly, the way that I've heard some men speak about you... they're such pigs. You've certainly chosen wisely."

Zelda frowned as Link clenched his fists, scowling. "What did they say?" she asked, biting her cheek.

Ashei shook her head. "Let's just say that... it was nothing short of vulgar. I gave them an earful for it, I assure you. They should know better than to say such... dirty things."

Link scoffed, pulling Zelda closer to him. "That's horrible."

Malo and Talo looked at each other, not sure that they knew what the girl was talking about. "What do you mean by that?" the younger brother asked, frowning.

"Oh, nothing that someone your age should ever hear," she shook her head, taking a seat beside Ilia. "Just don't take your youth for granted."

"Whatever they were saying, it sure is a good thing that Link didn't hear it!" Talo exclaimed, grinning. "You would have sliced them right in half, wouldn't you, Link?"

"I certainly wouldn't go easy on them," Link replied in an aggravated tone, rubbing his forehead.

Zelda frowned, wringing her hands. "Where did Impa go?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"She said that she was really busy and couldn't come back down to say goodbye," Telma answered, tilting her head slightly. "But don't you worry about anything, honey; I'm gonna make sure that you kids all make it to Ordon Village safely."

The queen nodded pensively, hoping that the woman was right. The seven young men and women took their seats as Telma smiled at them reassuringly, nodding as she left the carriage. Louise, the fluffy white cat, jumped onto Link's lap.

The young man groaned as the cat purred, rubbing up against him and digging his claws into his chest. Zelda giggled as Link tried to push the cat away, annoyed.

"He must like you," she stated, grinning at him.

"No kidding," Link replied as Louise meowed, smacking him in the face with his tail. "Do you want him?"

"I'll take him!" Talo exclaimed, running over and grabbing the cat off of Link's lap. Louise's face deflated as Talo held onto him, embracing him tightly.

Zelda laughed as Link looked down at himself in disgust, covered in cat hair. "Oh, great..." he sighed, shaking his head.

The young woman leaned over to him, placing a hand on his chest as she rested her head on his shoulder. She grinned as he picked the cat hair off of his tunic, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"Don't worry about it, Link," she told him, closing her eyes as she grabbed onto his hand.

His eyes softened as the girl began to drift off, still holding onto him. The group felt the carriage begin to move, slowly rocking them to sleep.


	14. Cat and Mouse

A/N: This chapter is a bit tense. No, really. Well... okay, compared to the last chapter, it's tense. But I do tend to add in quite a bit of tension throughout all of my chapters. Of course, Talo seems to always break the ice... But, you know... he's just cool like that. OKAY, enough small talk- I'm getting off track. Please make sure to review if you have the time; I LOVE reading reviews, and I always take suggestions into careful consideration. Anyway, please enjoy ^.^ And have an awesome day!

Chapter 14

Link finally awoke as the carriage hit a bump on the road. He rubbed his eyes tiredly with one hand, his opposite arm wrapped around Zelda. He glanced down at her, only to find that she was still sleeping soundly.

After a quick look around, he realized that mostly everyone was asleep. He almost jumped when he noticed Shad move his hand to turn the page of his book, hunched over in his chair. Had he been awake this whole time...?

The young hero pulled his arm away from Zelda, pecking her on the cheek as he stood up. The young woman stirred slightly, resting her head on her arm as he took a few steps away.

Link quietly walked over to the scholar, crossing his arms. He cleared his throat quietly, causing Shad to nearly drop his book as he jumped.

"L-Link!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide as he shook. "Y-you can't sneak up on me like that!"

The young man grinned slightly, sitting down in the empty seat beside him. "What are you looking at?" he asked quietly, leaning back in his chair.

"A history of our kingdom," Shad replied, clearing his throat. "I find it all very fascinating, actually. Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, closing his eyes. "Just curious..." he answered, frowning.

Shad paused for a moment, trying to read his facial expression. Link usually seemed more energetic, more enthusiastic... "Is something troubling you?" he asked, tilting his head.

Link opened his eyes slightly, biting his cheek. It seemed to have slipped his mind, really, but he did have a big problem. Zelda seemed to always make him forget about his problems...

"You... you can keep a secret, right?" he asked, staring down at the floor.

Shad closed his book, pushing his glasses up slightly. "Uh, y-yeah," he nodded, his voice wavering slightly as he sat up. "Of course."

Link took a deep breath, biting his lip as he closed his eyes. "Earlier, when we were at the castle... I heard Zelda and Impa talking about... marriage."

Shad raised an eyebrow. "Marriage?"

He nodded. "Impa was talking to her about the future, and... and she asked Zelda if she was planning on marrying me," he explained in a hushed tone.

"W-what?" Shad asked, raising his volume slightly. "You're... serious?"

Link nodded curtly, crossing his arms. "I'm dead serious, Shad."

The scholar set his book down on his lap, his mind racing with questions. "Why... why have you decided to tell me this?"

"I don't know," he frowned, biting his cheek. "I just... I-I needed to tell someone. I don't know what I'm supposed to do." Link shook his head, slouching forward as he gazed at his feet. "I mean... what would YOU do?"

Shad shook his head slowly. Of course he was unsure of what Link should do; it wasn't as if either of them had been in this situation before. "Well... what did Zelda say? Did she..."

"All she said was... something about how if I ever asked her, then she would make up her mind at that time." He paused, exhaling through his nose as he ran his fingers through his bangs. "And Impa said something about how she thinks that Zelda would marry me if I asked her."

"Did Zelda reply?" Shad asked curiously, trying to gather as much information as he possibly could.

Link shook his head. "No, she just let Impa walk away. She didn't really agree or disagree with it..."

"So... theoretically, if Zelda were to be open to the idea of marriage, would you be willing to marry her?" Shad asked, sitting up tall.

The young hero's throat suddenly went dry as he kept his gaze on the floor, not daring to look back at Shad. "I mean... I-I love her," Link whispered, closing his eyes.

"But are you willing to marry her?" Shad asked, crossing his arms.

Link glanced over at the sleeping young woman who was still lying down on her side. She seemed so content in her sleep, so carefree. In Link's eyes, she was a vision of pure beauty. There was no denying his love for her.

But how could he possibly answer the question? Just as Zelda had pointed out to Impa, they were still so young. There was so much time to be considering these things... But he certainly couldn't push the idea away.

If Zelda were to suddenly tell him that she were open to marrying him, what would he do? What would marriage change, anyway? Very little, as he imagined. So... what was the big deal, then?

"Link?" Shad asked, cocking his head. "What do you think?"

There was a long pause as Link sat in silence, lost in his own thoughts.

"I..." he started hesitantly, biting his lip. "I guess that-"

He stopped himself short as the carriage hit a sudden bump in the road, violently shaking the group. The sleeping were all rudely awakened, except for Ashei, who continued to sleep peacefully.

"W-what was that?" Talo asked, standing up quickly.

Zelda rubbed her eyes, staring at Link who sat next to an apprehensive Shad. "Have you two been awake?" she asked, stretching her arms.

"Uh, y-yes, Your Majesty," Shad answered quickly, wringing his hands. "Link and I were just talking."

"Is that so?" she asked, smiling warmly. "What were you talking about?"

The young men looked at each other, their eyes slightly widened. "Uh, we were..." Shad started, staring at the ceiling.

"Talking about the history of Hyrule!" Link interjected quickly, nodding. "Shad has this really interesting book that he brought with him about the history of Hyrule."

"I see," she nodded, slightly suspicious of their odd behavior. "Well, I've been very well educated on the history of our kingdom, and you can feel free to ask me any questions that you may have on the subject."

"Certainly!" the scholar nodded curtly, sitting up tall. "I'll keep that in mind.

"Guys, seriously!" Talo shouted, shaking. "W-what was that big bump?"

Ilia shrugged, leaning back. "I'm sure that it was just some rocks, or something..."

They could hear Epona let out a loud neigh as the carriage suddenly stopped, forcefully throwing Talo to the floor. Zelda gasped, hurriedly standing up and rushing over to the boy's side.

"Are you all right, Talo?" she asked worriedly, helping him up as she knelt down to his level.

He nodded slowly, slightly dizzy from being thrown off balance so suddenly. "Uh-huh..."

Malo rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "If you would learn how to sit still for more than five minutes, then perhaps these things wouldn't happen!"

Talo frowned, rubbing his sore arm. "Whatever," he retorted, gritting his teeth.

Zelda grinned as she made her way back over to her chair, taking a seat. Link clenched his fists at his sides, standing up and walking over to sit beside her.

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Zelda, I think that you and I have something that we need to talk about," he told her in a low voice, biting his cheek.

The young woman frowned, apprehensive about the serious tone of voice that he was using. "What is it?" she asked, gently resting a hand on his thigh as she gazed into his eyes.

The carriage entrance suddenly bursted open, revealing an aggravated Telma. "I'm gonna need some help out here, kids," she proclaimed, obviously unhappy.

"I'd be glad to help you, Miss Telma!" Ashei suddenly spoke up, startling the rest of the group. Hadn't she been asleep just a moment ago...?

"Lovely," the woman nodded, exhaling through her nose. She headed back outside, Ashei following closely behind her.

"We... we should talk later," Link nodded to Zelda sitting up tall. "When we have some privacy."

She nodded understandingly, still slightly nervous. What could he possibly want to talk to her about? And why was he acting so stern? Wasn't everything all right?

Zelda hastily leaned forward, planting a quick kiss on his cheek. He smiled slightly, pushing himself onto his feet. He offered the girl a hand, pulling her to her feet.

The two made their way outside. Link jumped off the still carriage onto the ground, helping the young woman down after him. The two teenagers headed around the side of the large carriage, only to find Telma and Ashei staring at one of the wheels.

"Is there something wrong?" Zelda asked, biting her lip.

"One of the spokes is broken," Ashei nodded slightly, nudging the large wheel with her foot. "It's too risky to ride in the carriage without repairing it first."

"Is there anything we can do about it?" Link asked kindly, cocking his head.

Telma frowned. "Thanks for the offer, honey, but I think that Ash and I can handle it," she replied, nodding slightly. "You, Zelda, Shad and Ilia... you all watch the little ones for now."

"We'd be glad to," Zelda smiled sweetly, nodding in agreement.

The two adolescents turned away from Ashei and Telma, making their way back to the entrance of the carriage. Just as they were about to climb the steps, Shad bolted out of the carriage, causing them to jump in surprise. He stopped when he saw them, his eyes wide in panic.

"What happened?" Zelda asked, her voice full of concern.

"Louise ran off after you guys left, a-and Talo followed him. We told him to come back, but he didn't hear us, so Ilia went after him!" he tried to explain, stumbling over his words.

"Which way did they go?" Link asked, his voice harsh and stern.

"To the woods," Shad nodded, biting his lip.

Before anybody could say anything more, Link suddenly pivoted on his heel, bolting towards Faron Woods at full speed. Zelda jolted back in surprise before turning to Shad, gazing into his eyes. "Stay here with Malo," she nearly ordered him, nodding.

"Yes, Your Majesty," he answered, putting his hands on his hips.

The young queen nodded graciously, turning away from the young man as she ran after Link, trying to catch up to him.

By the time that they had made their way to the center of the woods, the sun had long since disappeared over the horizon, leaving nothing but a bitter wind and a bright moon. They both shivered as they sprinted through the forest, panting.

"Talo?!" Link called out loudly, not seeing any sign of them. "Ilia?!"

They slowed themselves down, finally coming to a complete stop. They stared at each other for a moment, their eyes illuminated by the moonlight.

"They must be nearby," Zelda assured him, shivering. "They couldn't have gone far in the short time that we were away..."

Link nodded curtly, his thoughts overrun with apprehension. "I know..." he replied slowly, frowning.

They both froze as they heard the crackling of leaves just off of the path, in the darkness of the forest. Link's hand immediately gripped onto the hilt of his sword as he sidestepped closer to Zelda, peering into the shadows. She grabbed onto his arm, pulling him closer as she attentively watched the bushes.

They heard a loud meow from the bush as the leaves crackled again.

Link sighed in relief as Zelda let go of his arm. He quickly walked over to the bush, grabbing onto the large cat and picking him up. Louise meowed, purring as he rubbed up against Link.

"It's good to see you," Link grinned at the feline, petting him on the head.

There was a short moment of silence as Zelda stepped over to Link, grinning. She looked up into the forest, the smile quickly fading from her lips as she immediately turned pale. She froze as she gazed into the shadows, a glowing pair of eyes staring back at her.

"Link..." she managed to choke out, her voice barely audible. "Link, grab your sword."

The young man's eyes darted up to meet hers, which were frozen in fear. He slowly turned his head to face the forest, reaching for the sheathed sword on his back. Zelda took the cat from his arms, holding it close as a low growl emitted from the darkness, causing her breath to hitch slightly.

"Go, Zelda," he told her, holding his sword up in front of him defensively.

She shook her head, not taking her eyes off of the unknown creature. "I'm not leaving you here," she replied sternly.

"I don't want you to get hurt again, Zelda," he said to her, scowling. "Just get back to Telma before anything bad happens..."

The young woman shook her head curtly, refusing to leave his side. Louise wrestled himself out of the girl's grasp, quickly running away from the two teenagers as the creature growled at the sudden movement. Link readied his sword and shield as the monster bolted towards them. He stepped in front of Zelda, lunging towards the creature with a sharp yell.

Link's eyes adjusted to the darkness as his sword came into contact with the creature, penetrating it through the abdomen. It was nothing more than a common Green Bokoblin. The monster let out a loud shriek as it crumpled to the ground. Zelda quickly ran over to Link, her eyes full of worry. "Are you okay?" she asked, biting her lip.

The young hero nodded, pulling his sword out of the creature with one swift tug. "We need to find Ilia and Talo," he stated, his voice lower than usual as he locked eyes with her.

She nodded in agreement, shivering as the wind blew against them. "We must hurry..." she told him, frowning. The forest was still littered with monsters, and it was far too dangerous for them to be out there alone.

Link put an arm around Zelda's waist as he held his sword in the other hand, leading them both deeper into the woods. Zelda focused for a moment closing her eyes as she extended her arm forward, her palm facing upwards. Link stopped for a moment as a dull, orange light began to emit from her palm. The light grew brighter and brighter as Zelda focused all of her attention, still shivering. The light soon resembled a small flame, resting in Zelda's palm.

The young man gazed at the fire, mesmerized. "How did you... doesn't that hurt at all?" he asked, dumbfounded.

She shook her head. "Not really. However, it... tends to be a bit draining," she admitted, frowning as they pressed on into the forest. "All magic that I perform takes a bit out of me, especially when it's a more powerful spell."

"So it... wears you out?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.

She nodded slowly, thinking to herself. "Yes, however... there's a limit."

Link bit his lip in thought, staring at his feet. "And... what if you cross the limit?" he questioned.

She frowned slightly. "It... only happened once, when I was very young," she explained, closing her eyes in thought. "I was still learning simple spells; I hadn't realized what would happen if I pushed myself too hard..."

"Did you faint?" he asked, his tone full of concern.

Zelda shook her head. "I would have. I was so eager to master the spells that, no matter how exhausted I became, I kept practicing. Something within my brain gave me the drive to keep going. Impa hadn't told me that the spells fed off of the energy of its caster. If the caster had little energy to provide the spell, then it would instead feed off of whatever it could find; it would feed off of health."

The young man thought to himself for a minute, comprehending her words. "You mean that... eventually, it could kill you?"

She bit her cheek, nodding slowly. "Incidentally... yes," she replied. "The pain from the spells caused me to stop. I couldn't handle it, and only then did I realize how awful I had been feeling. Impa felt so guilty after that for not educating me on how potentially dangerous the spells could be, but it was no one's fault beside my own. I should have known better..."

He frowned, holding her hand. "Promise you'll never let that happen again?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Of course not..." the girl replied, her eyes drooping slightly.

"Good," he replied, smiling sweetly as he pecked her on the cheek.

The two paused when they heard a groan from just a few feet away. Zelda's eyes widened as Link let go of her. She darted forward towards the noise, only to find a figure slumped over on the ground before her.

Zelda knelt down to the small figure, bringing the light from the spell closer to it. The color of her face drained away instantly when she realized who it was.

Link ran forward to the girl's side, dropping his sword to the ground when he made out the face of the young boy at Zelda's feet. "Talo..." he whispered, dropping to his knees as he gazed at the face of the young boy.

"Can you hear me, Talo?" Zelda asked the child, her voice wavering.

Talo lied there on the ground, his eyes closed as his chest heaved. He managed to bob his head slightly, muttering something almost inaudibly.

Zelda felt herself tear up as she rested a hand on the young boy's cheek, careful to avoid his wounds. He was bleeding badly. It must have been the creature that they had seen earlier that did this...

"I-I can heal him," she stammered, turning to Link.

"You can't... what if you hurt yourself?" the young man asked, his eyes sharp.

"I'm not going to hurt myself! We can't leave him like this, Link!" she barked, her voice cracking as she wiped her eyes. "He's not okay! Something has to be done, and if I can help him, then... then I'm going to do it!"

There was a long moment of silence as Link shook his head, resting his head in his hands. "Be careful..." he answered, running his fingers through his hair.

Without a second of hesitation, the young woman put a hand against the young boy's chest. She would need the spell to be stronger this time, stronger than the one she used on Link. She would need to focus harder...

Zelda nodded as the flame disappeared from her palm, placing both hands on Talo's chest. She closed her eyes tightly as she grit her teeth, her arms nearly shaking as she tried desperately to focus her power on the boy.

In the bit of moonlight that shone down on the three youngsters, Link could just barely make out the bruised figure of the young boy. Only a monster could do something so cruel to a person, let alone someone so young... But that's exactly what Bokoblins were- cold blooded beasts.

Link watched in awe as the wounds slowly faded from the boy's body. Zelda began to break a sweat as she felt her body growing limp, barely able to sit up. She felt as Talo's heart began to beat faster than before, his bruises having completely disappeared.

The boy let out a loud gasp, sitting up straight. "W-what's going on?" he asked, panting. He looked up at Zelda, whose hands were still resting against his chest. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

The young woman pulled her hands away, weakly throwing her arms around the boy and pulling him close.

Link nearly fell forward as he wrapped his arms around Talo and Zelda, shaking his head. "You're all right..." he whispered to the boy, holding onto him tightly.

"I guess so..." Talo chuckled softly. He pulled away from the two teenagers, turning his attention back towards Zelda. "You... saved me?"

The girl tried to balance herself, nearly falling over from exhaustion. Link rested a hand on her lower back, supporting her as she attempted to keep her head off the ground.

"She did," Link nodded as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Talo stared at the young woman in disbelief. "Wow..." he managed to tell her, his mouth completely agape. "You... you really saved me... thanks for everything, Zel. You're so awesome..."

She lifted her chin slightly to look at him, the smallest of smiles growing on her lips. "It's... good to have you back," she replied, closing her eyes.

The young boy shrugged, smiling crookedly. "Aw, don't worry about me- I was never gone in the first place."

Link grinned, messing up Talo's hair. "You're a tough kid, you know," he told him, chuckling to himself.

The little boy's face suddenly went pale as he slouched forward, shaking his head. "Oh God, Link... I don't know where Ilia is," he muttered, holding his head in his hands. "Last time I saw her was... a few minutes before that thing attacked me. I guess I outran her."

There was a long silence as Link tensed up, still holding onto Zelda. His mind began to wander, wondering what could have possibly happened to Ilia. What if she had been placed under the same circumstances as Talo? Or perhaps even worse...

Link shook his head curtly. He couldn't think like that. He was going to find Ilia; she couldn't be too far away...

"Don't worry, Talo," Link assured the boy, pulling Zelda and himself their feet. He lent the child a hand, pulling him up. "We're going to find her, no matter what. I'll bet you that she's still out here looking for you."

Talo smiled as Link picked up his sword from the ground, wiping a bead if sweat from his forehead.

"Let's go," the boy declared, stepping in front of the two teenagers as he began to march off into the forest.

The young woman shook her head, trying to keep her focus as the three walked deeper into the forest. "Let's go," Zelda echoed, grabbing onto Talo's hand.


	15. Superheroes

A/N: So... this is the fifteenth week that I've been posting this story. Wow. Thank you all so much for all of the support! And on a side note: you don't have to feel guilty about correcting me in your review! :P If I didn't want your help, then I wouldn't let you guys review! Oh, and... I get lonely sometimes, so if you ever want to talk, feel free to hit me up for a chat via PM! I don't bite! Anyway, thank you all SO MUCH for your continued support, and PLEASE don't be afraid to leave me feedback! ^.^

Chapter 15

The moonlight shone down on the three youngsters as they trudged through the forest. None of them had ever been so deep into the forest at such a late hour, but they had no choice; they had to find Ilia.

"She couldn't have gone far, right, Link?" Talo asked, trying his best to stay optimistic.

The young hero stared off into the woods far ahead, frowning. "No, of course not. We just have to keep looking..." he nodded, pulling Zelda closer.

The queen's eyes drooped as she leaned against Link, barely able to walk. They hadn't been walking for very long, but her knees still grew weaker by the minute. She was so exhausted, and the wind felt so bitterly cold against her skin... but she had to go on...

Talo frowned as he felt Zelda shivering as the wind relentlessly blew against them. "You're cold?" he asked, frowning as he looked up at her.

Zelda's blue eyes flickered in the moonlight as she shook her head slightly. "I'll be okay," she assured him, not quite answering his question.

Link frowned as he stopped for a moment, pulling Zelda close to him. She shuddered as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're sure that you don't want to go back to the carriage?" he asked, his hot breath on her neck as he held onto her.

Zelda nodded curtly, not wanting to leave him alone to search for Ilia. "I'm not going anywhere, Link," she stated, pecking him on the cheek as she pulled away. "Let's find Ilia so that we all can get back to the others..."

The little boy nodded, tugging on Link's belt. "She's right," he agreed, standing up tall. "We can go home after this..."

Link nodded, frowning. He was silent for a moment as he continued to walk, still holding onto Zelda.

Talo stopped suddenly, turning around to face Link. "Did you hear that?" he whispered, his eyes wide.

"Hear what?" he asked, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword.

A silence fell over the three of them as they listened intently. From far ahead of them, they could hear the sound of groaning.

Link rushed forward towards the noise, not bothering to stop so that Talo could catch up. It was as if history had repeated itself when he noticed a figure slumped over on the ground. He increased his speed, running as fast as his feet could possibly carry him as he practically dragged Zelda along with him.

The three finally made their way over to the familiar figure. Zelda let go of Link as he dropped down to his knees, brushing the short hair out of the injured girl's face.

"Ilia," he whispered, biting his lip. Link forced a smile on his lips, trying to push away his negative thoughts. He nudged her lightly, hoping to see something, anything that would let him know that she was okay.

The girl was completely still, except for the almost unnoticeable heaving of her chest.

Link's eyes widened slightly as he held onto her shoulders, gazing down at her. Her facial expression was blank, but somehow it seemed peaceful. It was almost as if she were asleep.

"Ilia, please..." the young man implored. He closed his eyes tightly, unable to look at her. Never before had he seen her so battered, so bruised... His stomach churned with guilt as he shook his head, letting go of her shoulders.

"Maybe Zelda can help her..." Talo suggested hopefully, twiddling his thumbs.

Link turned towards the two, shaking his head. "It's... it's too dangerous," he told the young boy, staring at the ground.

Zelda was as still as a statue as she closed her eyes pensively.

Over the short time that she had gotten to know Ilia, the two of them had had a bitter relationship, to say the least. Zelda had been told of how sweet and compassionate Ilia usually was, but she had never seen it for herself. Ilia never acted that way towards Zelda...

It pained the young woman to think that Ilia's actions were her own fault. She had never tried to make peace with Ilia; the most that she had done in hopes of gaining her trust was advising Link to try and make amends with Ilia, which failed. If Zelda was going to save Ilia, then she was going to have to put all of her feelings behind her.

"I'm going to do my best," Zelda nodded slowly, stepping over to the girl.

Link raised his eyebrows as she knelt down beside him, resting a gloved hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?" he asked, perking his head up. "Don't be ridiculous; it's too dangerous..."

"I have no choice, Link," Zelda replied, gazing down at Ilia. "I'm going to do everything that I can."

"You'll hurt yourself!" Link retorted, scowling at her. "You told me yourself; it could even kill you!"

The young woman gazed at him, her eyes burning. She shook her head slightly, inhaling through her nose. "Link..." she started, clenching her fists at her sides, "have you not seen what she's going through? If I don't help her, then... then we don't stand a chance in saving her! She's your best friend, Link! Although you may not love her in the same respect that she loves you, I know that you DO love her! I'm not going to pretend that she's a dear friend of mine, but I will NOT sit idly by and allow you to keep me from helping her!"

"I'm not going to let you hurt yourself!" he argued, his eyes sharpened.

"And you'll allow your best friend to die without even trying to save her?" Zelda barked, gritting her teeth.

Link was silent for a moment. He lowered his gaze, his eyes softening slightly. "N-no..." he answered, shaking his head. "Of course not..."

"Then allow me to try," she told him, her voice an octave deeper than usual.

He sighed, closing his eyes tightly. "I just... I don't want you to get hurt, Zelda..."

"I know," she responded, placing a soft hand against his cheek. She smiled sadly as she kissed him on the cheek. "You trust me, don't you?"

"...Of course I do, Zelda," he told her truthfully, nodding.

The young woman let go of him. "Good..." she answered, turning her attention back towards the girl.

Zelda exhaled through her nose as she firmly pressed her hands against Ilia's chest, just above where she had a large gash across her abdomen. She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. After a few seconds she nodded, feeling for Ilia's heartbeat.

The young woman sighed in relief as she felt the slow, unsteady thumping of Ilia's heart. Although it was uneven, it was still beating, which was all that Zelda needed to know.

Zelda took her hands off of Ilia for a moment, muttering something to herself as she pulled off her long gloves and threw them aside. She would need as much power as she could possibly muster, and she couldn't let anything get in the way. She placed her hands against the girl's chest, tuning out the others as she tried her best to focus.

Talo and Link watched Zelda, mesmerized by the idea of a healing spell. The thought of using magic to save someone from death was... incredible. Surely there had to be a drawback of such a spell...

Then Link remembered that there was a drawback; the spell was feeding off of Zelda's energy.

The queen pushed against Ilia with all of her strength, a burst of energy coursing through her veins as her hands shook. She tried to relax herself, knowing that she needed to save all of the energy that she could.

After a few minutes of Zelda performing the spell, Ilia's bruises had begun to slowly fade away from her body, but she hadn't done so much as stir.

"Is it not working?" Talo asked, biting his cheek.

Zelda shook her head, her eyelids growing heavy. "I just... I need to keep the spell constant until she's been completely healed," she explained.

"You promise it'll work?" the child asked hopefully, tilting his head to the side.

She paused, staring down at the girl. Zelda bit her lip, nodding. "I promise," she told him, not taking her eyes off of their main focus.

The young woman, closed her eyes, visualizing a time when Ilia wasn't so bitter. Link had said that he and Ilia used to head down to the Faron Spring every now and then when they were a bit younger. He said that she would wash Epona in the spring water and that the two of them would sit there for hours on end, conversing.

Zelda had never had a friend like that. The only person who she had ever been so close to was Impa, but even when Zelda was a child, Impa was always too busy to talk... It must have been nice, Zelda thought, to have such a good friend...

That was exactly why Zelda couldn't let Link lose Ilia. Because deep down, Ilia was still the same girl that Link had grown up with, the same girl that he had been able to call his best friend. He loved Ilia. He didn't love her as she loved him, but he loved her as much as he would his own sister, and that wasn't something that he could ever just let go of. Ilia would always hold a special place in Link's heart, and Zelda was not going to let him lose her.

The wise queen's arms shook as she pressed her hands against the girl's chest. She felt the strength of the spell increase as she struggled to keep her arms still, not wanting to break her focus.

She had to save Ilia. She had to save Ilia for Link. She had to save Ilia for Mayor Bo and Talo and everyone who loved Ilia. She had to save Ilia because she couldn't bear to part with her on such bitter terms, and she had to save Ilia because she had a good heart and she was too young to be taken away. She had to save Ilia, or else she would regret it for the rest of her days.

Zelda felt her eyes being pricked with tears as she put all of the strength that she possibly could into the spell.

"Please..." she whispered to the girl, even though she couldn't hear. Zelda shook her head, her brown hair falling over her shoulders. "Please wake up..."

Ilia's breath hitched slightly as the large gash on her abdomen slowly began to close, but her eyes were still closed.

Zelda whimpered as she felt a burning sensation in her hands, as if they were being held against a flame. She bit her tongue as she tried her best to ignore the pain which was slowly creeping up her arms.

Link perked his head up, immediately noticing her distress. "Zelda, are you okay?" he asked worriedly, his eyes wide.

Zelda was silent as she grit her teeth, groaning as the searing pain made its way to her torso. "I'm... a-almost done," she managed to croak out, her voice wavering.

The young man sat up straight, concerned. "Z-Zelda..." he started, shaking his head, "just stop; you're hurting yourself!"

She tried to shake her head but was interrupted when a shriek escaped her lips. It was as if she was going through the same pain that Ilia had gone through as Zelda's abdomen burned with a stabbing pain, a tear escaping her eye.

Link grabbed onto Zelda's arm, trying to pull her away from Ilia. "Stop it!" he shouted, but she didn't budge.

Her chest heaved as she felt Ilia's heart begin to beat a bit faster, her wound having almost completely vanished. It took all of Zelda's strength to refrain from pulling her hands away as she felt the mind-numbing pain in her gut.

Ilia's chest began to move normally as a new layer of skin covered the area where the wound was, as if it were never there in the first place.

Link pulled Zelda's hands away from the girl hastily, pulling the young woman away. Zelda's face drained of color as her stomach churned with pain. The young queen went completely limp as she fell back, only to be quickly caught by Link before she hit the ground.

"Zelda!" he shouted, pushing her hair out of her face. Link rested a hand against Zelda's chest, only to find that her heartbeat was the same as it had been minutes before.

Talo pursed his lips, standing up tall. "W-what happened?" he asked, the worry in his voice palpable. "Did she... pass out?"

Link held Zelda close to him, her entire body limp. "I... I guess so," he answered, breaking a sweat. His hand trailed down her side, grabbing onto her hand as her head rested on his lap. "She's... still breathing.

"Link?" he heard a meek voice call out from behind him. The young man turned his head, only to find Ilia sitting up straight, a large hole ripped through her shirt. "Link... what happened?"

The young hero sat up tall, gazing down at the unconscious young woman in his arms. "Zelda saved you," he told the girl, his throat as dry as sand.

Ilia lowered her gaze to look at the young woman, dumbfounded. "W-what do you mean? She wouldn't have..."

"She used the healing spell on Talo, and then she used it on you," Link explained, sheathing his sword.

"Why would she do that?" the Ordonian girl asked, not able to believe that Zelda would risk her life for her. "She... has no reason to help me... Why would she help me?"

Link grit his teeth, gazing down at the face of the beautiful young woman. Why DID she save Ilia? What reason did she have to risk everything for some girl who had been so bitter to her?

"Zelda helps EVERYONE, that's why!" he retorted, his voice hoarse. "She would have saved you, no matter what! You NEVER would have done the same, though, would you?"

Ilia was silent as she stood up, her mouth agape. "Link..." she started, trailing off. What was she supposed to say? Perhaps Link was right. Perhaps she never would have done the same...

Her stomach twisted as she shook her head, overcome with guilt. Over the years, Ilia had always heard the adults in the village discussing politics. While it didn't particularly interest her, she remembered how they would constantly mention Zelda and how she was such a great ruler. She had heard stories of the young princess and the tragic death of her parents, the King and Queen of Hyrule. She remembered the day that Zelda became the monarch of the kingdom, and how the citizens rejoiced. She had heard so many stories about the young ruler of Hyrule, but she had never actually seen her with her own eyes. Years later, when she finally did meet Zelda... Ilia was too lost in her own envy to actually MEET Zelda. Even now, the queen had just saved her life, but Ilia still acted as if it was no big deal...

"I-I'm sorry..." the girl choked out, her eyes welling up with tears. She clenched her fists at her sides, gritting her teeth. "I'm so sorry for everything, Link. I was so stupid... this is all my fault..."

Link interlocked his fingers with Zelda's, frowning. She seemed so exhausted; he could have stopped to let her rest for a bit... "It's not your fault, Ilia..." he responded monotonously, his expression blank. "It's nobody's fault. Zelda would have saved you, no matter what. You're both okay, and that's all that matters..."

She shook her head vigorously, covering her mouth with one hand as she tried her best not to make the horrible choking sounds that she usually made when she cried. "No, Link... I'm sorry for hurting you, a-and I'm sorry for being so cruel to you and Zelda... I'm sorry for everything!"

Link frowned, closing his eyes. "I don't care that you hurt me..." he told her truthfully, shaking his head. His eyes opened as he turned to Ilia, his face stern. "But I won't let you do the same to Zelda. She's done so much for everyone and has never asked for anything in return..."

"I know..." Ilia nodded, averting the young man's gaze as the cold wind blew against her skin. "And I'm sorry... but can we please get back to the others? We'll catch a cold out here..."

He nodded curtly, scooping Zelda into his arms and lifting her off the ground as he brought himself to his feet. "Let's hurry, before anything else happens..."

The girl quickly stood up, rushing over to him as she stared at the unconscious young woman. "Is she... is she okay?" Ilia asked, biting her cheek.

Link tightened his grip on Zelda, frowning. "I-I don't know," he admitted, his voice full of guilt. What if he had stopped her? Zelda would have been exhausted, but Ilia wouldn't have healed. He felt his stomach churn at the thought, but he had no time to dwell on the past. He needed to get back to Telma; maybe she would know how to help...

"I'm sure she's okay," Talo smiled, perking his head up. "Zelda's super tough, even for a girl."

The young man nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah..." Link agreed, lowering his gaze slightly. "You're right about that."

"She got clubbed in the head by a Bokoblin, you know!" the boy nodded, his eyes sparkling with childish wonder.

Link paused for a moment, not knowing what to say. It was ridiculous. Zelda had gone through so much in the short time that he had known her... and for what? She never did anything to help herself. Everything she did was for others, and she never acknowledged that. She acted as if it wasn't important and carried on. It wasn't fair for her to get so little recognition for it...

"Uh, Link?" Talo spoke up, cocking his head slightly.

The young man snapped out of his thoughts, shaking his head. "What?" he asked, barely able to listen.

"You zoned out. I worry about you sometimes, you know," he answered, rolling his eyes. "But anyways, Zelda's, like... a superhero. She has powers and everything! It's legendary."

A small smile grew on Link's lips as he nodded, taking a step forward. "Sure is. What do you say we get going so that maybe we can get home? The carriage is probably fixed by now..."

"Sure thing!" Talo agreed, grinning widely as he jumped in front of the young hero, leading the way.

Ilia frowned, biting her lip as the three of them slowly made their way back towards the carriage.


End file.
